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TS 1109 

CTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER 

1911 

Copy 1 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE 

JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTINa 

SIXTY-SECOND CONGRESS^ 

RELATIVE TO 

THE REJECTION BY THE PUBLIC PRINTER OF MACHINE-FINISH AND 
SUPERCALENDERED BOOK PRINTING PAPER ON ACCOUNT OF ITS 
CONTAINING CLAY FILLER IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT SHOWN 
BY THE STANDARD SAMPLES AS FIXED UPON BY THE JOINT COM- 
MITTEE ON PRINTING; HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVI- 
SIONS OF SECTION 8 OF THE PRINTING ACT OF JANUARY 12, 1895. 



AUGUST 15, 1911 



Printed for the use of the Joint Committee on Printing 



WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1911 



• 



JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING. 

REED SMOOT, Utah, Chairman. DAVID E. FINLEY, South Carolina. 

CARROLL S. PAGE, Vermont. HENRY A. BARNHART, Indiana. 

DUNCAN U. FLETCHER, Florida. BENJAMIN K. FOCHT, Pennsylvania. 

George H. Carter, Clerk. 



ft. f^ ^. 

NOV IS 191? 






REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 



TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1911. 

Joint Committee on Printing, 

Washington, D. C. 

The Joint Committee on Printing met at 10.30 a. m. in the room 
of the committee at the Capitol. 

Present: Mr. Smoot (chairman), Mr. Page, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. 
Finley, Mr. Barnhart, and Mr. Focht, 

Mr. R. P. Andrews, of the R. P. Andrews Paper Co., of Wash- 
ington; Judge C. F. Moore, of New York, and Mr. H. F. Harrison, 
of New York, representing the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co.; 
Mr. Clarence A. Clough, of New York, representing the New York & 
Pennsylvania Co.; Mr. Lewis Hopfenmaier, of Washington; Mr. 
Samuel B. Donnelly, the Public Printer; Capt. Henry T. Brian, the 
Deputy Public Printer ; Mr. Frank C. Wallace, the foreman of print- 
ing. Government Printing Office; Mr. Howard L. Strawn, inspector 
for the Joint Committee on Printing; Mr. D. E. Douty, associate 
physicist. Bureau of Standards; and Mr. F. P. Veitch, chief, leather 
and paper laboratory. Bureau of Chemistry, appeared. 

The Chairman. There are a number of gentlemen here, repre- 
senting different paper companies, who have appealed from the 
Public Printer's rejection of machine-finish and supercalendered book 
printing paper on account of their paper showing ash (clay filler) 
in excess of the standard sample as fixed upon by the Joint Com- 
mittee on Printing. Judge C. F. Moore, of New York, and Mr. H. F. 
Harrison are here, representing the R. P. Andrews Paper Co., of 
Washington, and the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co. I will say 
that if the judge desires to proceed we will hear him first, and I 
think it very proper to say that we would like to have you make 
your statement as brief as possible. We will hear but one repre- 
sentative from each company that appealed, for the reason that we 
have but a limited time at our disposal. 

STATEMENT OF JUDGE C. F. MOORE, OF NEW YORK. 

Mr. Moore. Gentlemen of the committee, the suggestion of your 
chairman will be strictly observed. I shall be exceedingly brief in 
my remarks. We are here this morning to avail ourselves of the op- 
portunity this committee has kindly given to support the protest we 
have filed regarding the rejection by the Public Printer of surfaced 
papers supplied to the Government Printing Office. I have very few 
things to say concerning it, but I want briefly to state our position at 

the outset. 

3 



/i-7y9^ 



4 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

The Chairiman. Perhaps I had better say before you proceed, so 
you can take the matter up as you go along, that I have here a report 
showing the tests of niachino-finished printing paper delivered by 
all of the companies that furi\ish the Government Printing Office 
with that class of paper. I notice that it shows deliveries of machine- 
finish paper b}' the R. P. Andrews Paper Co., commencing with in- 
spection No. 1782. giving ash percentages as follows : 9.48, 11.95, 14.90, 
13.40, 9.90, 8.93, 8.17, 5.90, 13.40. 11.20, 15.35, 12.38, 11.00, 13.65, 11.68, 
12.22, 16.87, 12.20, 11.98, and 12.08. Beginning with inspection No. 
2054, this report shows the delivery of makchine-finish paper with ash 
percentages as follows: 5.15,5.70, 5.55, and 4.10. 

On the supercalendered deliveries, beginning with inspection No. 
1845, lot 22. the percentages of ash are as follows : 17.03, 13.43, 17.72, 
15.78, 15.00, 13.88, 19.82, 15.42, 13.08, 18.30, 16.12, 13.30, 14.87, and 
10.35. Beginning with inspection No. 2083, lot No. 20, the ash per- 
centages were 5.40 and 8.23. 

Mr. MooRE. Those, I understand, are all deliveries under the pend- 
ing contract? 

The Chairman. Yes; and the standard sample adopted by the 
Joint Committee on Printing for the contract year 1911-12, for sized 
and supercalend"&red book printing paper (class C), shows 5.65 per 
cent of ash. and the standard sample for machine-finished book 
printing paper, shows 1.05 per cent of ash. Now, this is the record, 
and I would like to have you speak to that. 

Mr. Moore. Those are the discrepancies concerning which you 
wish me to talk. I wish to say, first of all, that we are surprised at 
this rejection, because under our contention the rejection is made 
under a misapprehension or the misconstruction of the contract by 
the Public Printer. We take the position that the grounds of the 
objection and the grounds of the rejection are not in anywise covered 
by this contract 

The Chairman. So there may be no misunderstanding as to my 
attitude, and I think I ought to state it before the committee, I don't 
want you to charge that up to the Public Printer. I want you to 
charge that direct to the Joint Committee on Printing, so you may 
know that is our construction of the contract. 

Mr. Moore. I am very glad you have made that suggestion, Mr. 
Chairman, because it brings us right down to the issue and the facts. 
Neither the specifications contained in the proposal nor the contract 
speak of the ash percentage at all, and the very fact that this con- 
tract does undertake to specify certain things which shall and shall 
not be done, would seem to exclude as a part of the contract that 
which is not mentioned. 

Now this contract goes on to state " the said paper is to be in 
color, quality, and in every respect, equal to the standard of paper 
fixed upon by the Joint Committee on Printing and preserved in the 
said Government Printing Office," quality there being the essential, 
and the standards were construed to be and to mean standards of 
quality. The contract then goes on to state what the paper must not 
contain. Now these things were of such importance, conceived to be 
by the committee in preparing these exceptions, that they were enum- 
erated. Then the samples which were furnished, on the face of 
them, referred to the thickness, strength, etc., and, of course, the 
color is also mentioned. 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 5 

The CHAiR]NrAN. And also the ash, isn't it ? 

Mr. Moore. Xo ; there is nothing said about ash whatever. 

The Chairman. You were to make your own tests under the 
contract. 

Mr. MooRE. Yes, sir; and I will speak of that in just one moment. 
Now, then, we admit that if after compliance with these particulars, 
which are set out fully in the contract, we should adopt any process 
or material which, I may say, impairs the quality of the paper, then 
we can not come up to the standard of quality, so that after comply- 
ing with the specifications which are definitely fixed, the only thing 
remaining to do — to determine — is whether the quality of the paper 
meets the requirements of the contract. And the process of the manu- 
facture by which that quality may be reached is left to the good 
judgment of the manufacturer because it is not specified. 

Now, this rejection — the notice of rejection — does not intimate that 
the quality is not what is required. I am here referring to quality. 
We refer, of course, to paper adaptable and suitable and fit for the 
use for which it is intended, and to which it is to be put as contem- 
plated by both parties to the contract. 

Now, I insist, and I think we can establish it abundantly by prac- 
tical manufacturers, and by printers as well, that the variations of 
ash percentages do not impair the quality of the paper. On the con- 
trary, for many purposes, and we believe for the purposes for which 
this paper is bought, it improves the quality. And, in spite of the re- 
jection of this paper, with the experience of the Public Printer, or 
any other practical printer, I do not believe that anyone — the Public 
Printer himself, or anyone else who uses this paper — will undertake 
■to say that the quality has been impaired; but that, on the contrary, 
will say it is quite as satisfactory as if it complied with what this 
committee has construed to be a standard paper. Now right there I 
want to state that we do not concede that there is any standard per- 
centage of ash. because these samples submitted themselves vary, and 
vary materially, in their analyses. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Tell us how much. 

Mr. Moore. That will be shown by others who follow me. I do 
not knoAv the exact figures, but w^e will have them given. I will 
state further, that it is utterly impossible, in the practical manufac- 
ture of paper, to make a paper which is uniform — exactly uniform — 
in ash, in color, in weight, or thickness, or anything else. It must 
always be an approximate approach to a standard in color, in thick- 
ness, in ash, or anything else. 

Mr. Barnhart. It might be more and it might be less? 

Mr. Moore. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Barnhart. Did you get any less than the standard? 

The Chair^fan. The Andrews Co. did not deliver any containing 
less than the 1.05 per cent. 

Mr. Barnhart. You admit 3'ou were above and never below the 
standard sample ? 

Mr. Moore. Some samples. 

The Chairman. I want to say that we have had machine-finished 
book papers delivered here by other companies that were under 1.05 
in ash percentage. 

Mr. Moore. That may be possibly true, but my contention is this : 
That there is always a residue, there is always ash accruing from out- 



6 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

side of any paper, although there may not be one particle of what we 
term " filler " used in it. 

The Chairman. That would be only slight. Now, Judge Moore, I 
would like for you, before you leave this and go on with the other 
question, to give your idea as to the meaning of the words in the con- 
tract signed by your company ; that is, these words : 

The attention of the bidders is directed to the requirements of section 7 of 
the act of January 12, 1895, which reads : " The Public Printer shall compare 
every lot of paper delivered by any contractor with the standard of quality fixed 
upon by the Joint Committee on Printing, and shall not accept any paper which 
does not conform to it in every particular." 

Mr. Moore. That is a clause which I have marked and intended to 
direct the attention of the committee to. You will observe that the 
Public Printer is required to see that the paper delivered conforms 
with the standard of quality fixed. Now, what is quality? Not addi- 
tions to those particulars which are specified in the contract. It 
does specify color, the weight, the tensile strength. Now, we must 
conform to this in addition to that. What must we conform to that 
affects the quality? There isn't anything said about filler at all in 
the contract; but, as I have said before, we concede in the process 
of manufacture which we may adopt, in using our own judgment 
in the manufacture of this paper, that which would impair the 
paper would not be in compliance with the contract, and the ques- 
tion, therefore, is 

Mr. FiNLEY. Now, Judge, just there, to what extent is the sample 
furnished your people when you made the bid made a standard or 
a part of this contract? 

Mr. MooRE. I consider it to be a standard in the particulars enumer- 
ated in the contract, so far as color, weight, tensile strength, is con- 
cerned, and, in addition to that, the general — there must be the gen- 
eral — ^understanding between the parties that nothing can be intro- 
duced into the paper and nothing taken from it which will impair 
the quality of the paper. 

Mr. Barnhart. ^¥lien your people bid on the sample, your chem- 
ist of course analyzes that sample? 

Mr. MooRE. Not necessarily for ash. We have paid no attention to 
it in any case. 

Mr. Barnhart. You don't analyze it at all? 

Mr. MooRE. Not for the purpose of finding ash. 

Mr. Barnhart. Don't you analyze it at all ? Do you take the sam- 
ple and go haphazard ? 

Mr. MooRE. Unless the specifications are so indefinite on the ma- 
terial points that we were unable to tell what formula to use. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Are the samples analyzed as a rule? 

Mr. MooRE. I don't think it is the rule, but there are jjractical paper 
manufacturers here, and they can tell better than I. The truth is, 
this question has never been before raised with us, and so far as the 
better quality of the paper is concerned, the better class of publica- 
tions receive and call for a higher percentage of ash than is furnished 
even in this. 

Mr. FiNLEY. You mean permanent publications. 

Mr. MooRE. Yes, sir. 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 7 

The Chairman. Aren't you mistaken about that? And isn't it 
true that large percentages of ash shorten the life of the paper? 

Mr. MooRE. I am not sure about that, as I am not a chemist. 

Mr. FiNLEY. You wouldn't come here before this committee, or 
anywhere, and argue that 15 or 30 per cent of ash would not shorten, 
the life of the paper ? 

Mr. Moore. I wouldn't undertake to say that, because I don't know. 

Mr. FiNLEY. I know it would. 

Mr. MooRE. I think the chances are that it would. 

Mr. FiNLEY. I called your attention to that, because I don't want 
you to get off on something you don't know anything about. 

Mr. MooRE. And neither do I wish to. In reference to the quality. 
The impression might prevail among the members of this committee 
that what seems to be a material increase in ash in this paper is made 
for the jDurpose of giving the manufacturer some financial advantage. 
Now, that is not correct. The truth is that there is no reduction in 
cost of manufacture of this paper that is supplied on account of the 
additional clay that is used. 

Mr. Barnhart. What is the comparative cost of clay with that 
of wood pulp ? 

Mr. MooRE. There is considerable difference, but you must remem- 
ber that in adding china clay only one-third of that which is actually 
used is retained, so that you must multiply it by three times its cost. 

Mr. Barnhart. It goes out in vapor? 

Mr. MooRE. No; it is washed out. You must multiply by three 
times its cost. In addition to that, you do not run your machines at 
the same rate of speed, and in order to retain a material quantity of 
clay you must use a better grade of pulp, and if you retain a high 
loading of clay you must use a pulp which will cost in addition more 
than you will save. 

Mr. FiNLEY. When vou use American clav doesn't that cost $10 
or $15 a ton? 

Mr. MooRE. I think that is correct. 

Mr. FiNLEY. English cla}^ is much higher. Pulp is about 3 cents 
a pound ? 

Mr. MooRE, I can't quote you the prices, but I think soda pulp is 
2.15 and sulphite pulp about 2.60. The point I am making is there 
is no figure given as to how far these variations may go ; nor, in my 
opinion, is there any depreciation of the value of the paper on account 
of the ash ; that it is made in good faith, and that these variations in 
the first place are necessaiy. They can not be exact. And, in the 
second place, they are not a part of the contract unless it is shown 
or insisted upon by those who use the paper that its quality is so 
impaired that it does not serve the purpose in the way it is intended 
to be used and contemplated by the parties to the contract. 

The Chairman. In your contract it specifically states that every 
lot of paper delivered by any contractor shall be compared with the 
standard quality fixed upon by the Joint Committee on Printing. 
Now, the standard as fixed by the Joint Committee on Printing for 
this particular papei* (machine-finish book printing) contains the 
following: Sulphite, 60 per cent: soda, 40 per cent; ash, 1.05 per 
cent; rosin sizing, 2.1 per cents Avith a thickness of 0.0032 and la 
strength of 25.9. 



5 REJECTION OF BOOK FEINTING PAPEE. 

Mr. Moore. AVliere does that appear in the contract? 
The Chairman. The contract reads : 

The Public Printer shall compare e^ery lot of paper delivered by any con- 
tractor with the standard of quality fixed upon by the Joint Committee on 
Printing, and shall not accept any which does not conform to it in every 
particular. 

Mr. Moore. We have had no notice of the standard. 

The Chairman. You could have had in the signing of the contract. 
The contract refers specifically to this standard of paper. 

Mr. Moore. It seems to me, if an analysis is made by the Joint 
Committee on Printing of a particular sample, to which they want us 
to conform, that that ought to be made known to us at the time of the 
signing of the contract, for the reason the samples themselves vary. 
Suppose a sample furnished to one manufacturer does not conform 
in the anah^sis with the sample furnished to another, then are the 
two contractors required to furnish the same paper ? 

The Chairman. These samples are all taken from the same run of 
paper and there isn't any such difference as from 1.05 to 19 per cent. 

Mr. Moore. No, perhaps there isn't. On these practical points 
there are gentlemen here who are very much better informed than I 
am. My purpose is simply to state the position we take in reference 
to this contract, and let these gentlemen, who have a practical knowl- 
, edge of the manufacture of papers follow that up, so that unless there 
is something further the committee wishes to inquire of me, I think I 
have covered the ground in that particular and shown what our con- 
tention is, and I may later wish to make some explanatory remarks. 

Mr. Barnhart. I want to ask the judge a question. Do you have 
in your company any records of protests upon this number of inspec- 
tions, that your paper was running below grade, before the letter of 
the Public Printer? 

Mr. Moore. Well, as to that^ — Mr. Harrison can answer you better 
as to that. 

STATEMENT OF MR. CLARENCE A. CLOTJGH, OF NEW YORK. 

The Chairman. Mr. Clarence A. Clough is here, representing the 
New York and Pennsylvania Co., and we will hear from him now. 

Mr. Clough. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee : As 
the representative of the New York and Pennsylvania Co., and 
as its general sales manager, I appear before you to present our pro- 
test against this rejection made by the Public Printer. Our conten- 
tion is that we have fulfilled all the conditions of the contract as out- 
lined in the contract itself. As sales manager all the samples that are 
sent in for us to match on orders come to me. We never test these 
samples for ash or sizing- — that is. rosin or animal sizing. Those are 
matters which are entirely left to the manufacturer. He is al- 
lowed 

Mr. FiNLEY. I^eft to the manufacturer b_v whom ? 

Mr. Clough. By the people who buy — the buyers of the paper. It 
is entirely left to the manufacturer as to the amount of clay to put in 
and answer the other requirements as he understands them and knows 
them to be. They specify certain requirements, and we have to fulfill 
every one of them — strength, color, fineness, weight — though all of 
these vary. Our weight will vary, our color will vary, our tensile 



REJECTION OF BOOK FEINTING PAPER. 9 

strength will vary, and our thickness will vary, and, naturally, our 
ash will vary. 

As a matter of fact, we contend that we can put in any amount of 
clay, providing we answer the other requirements of the contract. 
That is always left with the manufacturer, and should be in this case. 
You say it must match this sample in every particular, and you 
specify the amount of soda and sulphite; you state the amount of 
soda and sulphite in this paper. You have given it out this morning, 
but I have never heard it before, yet in your proposals you say, under 
class A, book printing paper — and our rejection comes under this 
clause — that i^aper under this class need not contain rags. Does this 
sample contain an}^ rags? No. You say this morning, at least, that 
it does not, yet if we had put in rags it would have been proper; yet 
the paper would not have been like this sample. And the matter of 
sizing: We could have used animal sizing, and would it have been 
rejected on this account? You say nothing about that. We have 
sized it, and that is a matter which is left to the manufacturer en- 
tirely ; just as also clay. 

Now, as regards cheapening. That was mentioned this morning; 
that the larger amount of clay, 10 to 15 per cent, would cheapen the 
production. I am talking about machine finished, because in sup^r- 
calendered it runs higher, but in machine finish it runs 10, 15, and 
16 per cent in our average papers. In this clay we use the finest im- 
ported English clay, and it costs us $14 a ton, and our retention is 
about one-third. The retention varies, owing to the suction in our 
machines. The suction varies, and it will suck out more clay one 
time than it will at another time. Our retention varies, although we 
put the same amount of clay in the beaters. "N^-lien Ave put clay in 
our beaters, it makes the stock form more slowly. By that I mean 
it doesn't get its formation as quickly on the wire, and our produc- 
tion is diminished, and you know when your production diminishes 
your cost goes up; therefore there is no material difference that we 
detect in the cost of manufacture when the amount of clay mentioned 
is used. 

As a matter of fact, in the lot that was rejected by your committee 
from the New York & Pennsylvania Co. there was absolutely no 
clay put in the beaters. The natural ash itself will vary in our 
digesters from the water used. 

Mr. FiNLEY. What is the supply of ash ? 

Mr. Clough. Wood. There is a natural percentage of ash in cel- 
lulose, the fiber used in making our paper. The sizing will also vary. 
Sizing will give an ash. ' 

Mr. FiNLEY. Do you introduce clay in your manufacture of paper? 

Mr. Olough. Yes ; but we did not in this particular lot, though w^e 
contend we could have if we had wanted to and yet fulfilled the other 
conditions of the contract. 

The CHAiRjktAN. Why didn't you in this particular lot instead of 
the other? 

Mr. Clough. Because in this lot we couldn't and still maintain the 
proper strength. 

The Chairman. Putting in clay has a tendency to weaken the 
paper ? 

Mr. FiNLEY. And to shorten the life of it? 

Mr. Clough. Not a percentage of 10 per cent. 



10 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

Mr. FiNLEY. "\"\niat will 15 per cent do? 

Mr. Clough. Ten to fifteen per cent will not in supercalendered. 

Mr. FiNi,EY. How about 20 per cent ? 

Mr. Clough. Well, it is pretty hard to tell just where it will di- 
vide 

Mr. FiNLEY. What about 25 per cent? 

Mr. CiX)UGH. Some people demand 25 per cent. 

Mr. FiNLEY. What about 30 per cent? 

Mr. Clough. I presume it might deteriorate it. 

Mr. FiNLEY. And 35 per cent ? 

Mr. Clough. We would not suggest putting it in, because it would 
not give a good printing paper. The life has nothing to do with that. 
You say nothing as to how long the paper is to last in your contract. 

Mr. Fletcher. "\Vliy would you put 25 per cent in, or why would 
they demand 25 per cent? 

Mr. Clough. Because it makes it more pliable and produces better 
work on their presses. 

Mr. Barnhart. Suppose here we have three shippers — we have 
shipments from three contractors — one ships 19 lots of paper which 
contain 1.08 per cent of ash; one ships 30 lots containing 1.50 per 
cent; and one ships 20 lots of paper containing 11 per cent. "W^at 
would you think of that situation? 

Mr. Clough. I would think that if they fulfilled the other require- 
ments as called for in their contract that they Avere living up to the 
strict terms of the contract. 

Mr. Barnhart. Would you, as a bidder, feel that if you had fur- 
nished paper according to the sample, containing 1.08 per cent aver- 
age of ash on 19 shipments, and a bidder that had beaten you in 
price on other shipments furnished 20 lots showing 11 per cent, that 
your competitor had been square in his process of manufacture and 
fair to you? 

Mr. Clough. Absolutely, sir; absolutely square and fair. We 
would have no objection so long as his pulp would stand it and he 
could answer the other requirements of the contract. It is a matter 
which is never gone into. 

The Chairman. You wouldn't object to his loading up to 20 per 
cent ? 

Mr. Clough. It would be all right so long as he answers the other 
requirements — so long as he could answer the other requirements; 
that, of course, is essential. 

The Chairman. Then your contract and your sample has nothing 
to do with the sample furnished by the Joint Committee on Printing? 
It says here 

Mr. Clough. You have it there, but we never have had it. In 
another place you say it is not to contain rags. 

The Chairiman. You never put in any rags? 

Mr. Clough. We do not use any rags ourselves. There is no danger 
of that. We have the strength, but if we should* vary one minute 
particle from your sample would be wrong. 

Mr. Barnhart. The matter of this excess, would that make any 
difference in your bids? 

Mr. Cloltgh. Yes; because we would not live up to 1.05 if we knew 
it. We didn't put any clay in our paper that contained 2.47 per cent 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 11 

of ash; I mean the lot that was rejected. It seems to me that will 
show you how it will vary without any clay being put in. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Isn't it your contention that if it did not vary the 
color, strength, and thickness of the paper, you could put in 50 per 
cent of clay and it Avould be nobody's business. 

Mr. Clough. Yes, sir. That is our position. 

Mr. Barnhart. Somebody in your office has been trying to follow 
this sample i^retty closely in your shipments. 

Mr. Clough. We never analyzed it until it was brought to our 
attention in July. That was the first time we analyzed that sample. 
There are certain features of your contract on the machine-finish that 
are followed; that is, strength and thickness. If you cut that pro- 
portion, we are unable to put any clay in and be safe ; and we always 
work to be on the safe side with the Government. 

The Chairman. Here on inspection No. 1813, lot No. 6, there was 
5.2 per cent of ash. Do you mean to say you did not put any clay in 
that? 

Mr. Clough. No, sir ; no clay. We did not put any in the beaters, 
but it might come about in this way. Presuming that just before we 
made that paper we had been running a paper with 25 per cent of 
ash or clay the backwater will give you a certain amount of clay, 
and that sometimes gets into the paper, a small percentage, and 
will bring it up to 5 per cent — the backwater alone — although we do 
not put an ounce in the beaters. 

The Chairman. I want to say that your company has lived very 
close to the contract, and in some of the deliveries you have run as 
low as 0.93 per cent. 

Mr. Clough. We have tried to live up to the requirements, but we 
have never tested for clay it was to stand, but we decided we couldn't 
put any in and live up to the other requirements as to color, strength, 
and thickness. A great deal depends on the pulp. The pulp of one 
manufacturer might allow him to put in a percentage of clay whereas 
ours might not. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Are you a chemist? 

Mr. Clough. No, sir. 

Mr. FocHT. Wliere is your plant located? 

Mr. Clough. Our plant is at Johnsonburg, Elk County, Pa. 

Mr. Barnpiart. I understand you to say that the amount of load- 
ing depends upon the grade of the pulp to a very great extent? 

Mr. Clough. Yes, sir; that is correct. The pulp will not allow 
the loading and at the same time enable you to live up to the other 
requirements. 

STATEMENT OF MR. LEWIS HOPFENMAIER, OF WASHINGTON. 

The Chairman. Mr. Hopfenmaier, according to the telegrams he 
has delivered to me, is representing the King Paper Co. and the 
Brj^ant Paper Co. Now, Mr. Hopfenmaier, we will hear from you. 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. I have only got one little trouble, and that is 
1 car of paper rejected on me out of 37, in which the excess percentage 
of ash of one kind of paper was 0.83 and the other 1.20. This paper 
was made according to the sample they sent out. We tested for ash, 
and we made it accordingly, and in the general sweep that we all got 



12 REJECTION OF BOOK FEINTING PAPER. 

the last few days, I came in against it, and I would ask your commit- 
tee to accept this paper for the simple reason 

The Chairman. The carload that was rejected, instead of 1.05 per 
cent contained 1.20 per cent of ash? 

Mr. HoPFENMAiER. It was 1.20 per cent above the 1.05 per cent. It 
made it 2.25 per*cent. And the other was 0.83 per cent away from 
the amount of ash. This paper was made strictly according to the 
samples sent out, was tested by our chemists, and sent here accord- 
ingly, and I would like to ask your committee to accept that paper. 

Mr. Barnhart. You gave it a chemical analysis? You gave it a 
chemical test in order to know what it contains? 

Mr. HoPFENMAiER. Yes ; and then we say to our chemists, here is 
this sample, and we instruct them what to do with it. We have the 
Bureau of Standards and Weights here make an analysis. 

The Chairman. You consider, then, that it was your duty to know 
what the paper requirements were before starting the manufacture 
of them? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. If you want to live up to the requirements of 
the Government Printing Office. You do that in order not to have 
any trouble, if you want to live up to that. 

The Chairman. You had no idea if you should ship paper showing 
ash up to 19 per cent, it would be received ? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. I wouldn't want to send any percentage like 
that here to be accepted. 

Mr. Fialey. Your people do analyze the samples, you say? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. Always. 

Mr. Finley. And you bid on these samples? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. We get the samples from the Government 
Printing Office. The Government Printing Office requires the paper 
to be made according to sample, and if it is not, they are not at all 
backward in rejecting it. 

Mr. FiNLEY. They are not backward? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. No. 

Mr. FiNLEY. And you are not surprised if they do reject it? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. That is it. 

Mr. FocHT. May I ask you in regard to this loading business? 
The impression prevails here that it is done in order to make the 
paper cheaper, or to lessen the cost of production. It has been testi- 
fied that it makes no difference in the cost of manufacture. Now, 
what do you put it in for? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. To make money out of it. The clay is cheaper 
than the pulp is. 

Mr. FocHT. That answer is directly in opposition to the statement 
of the gentleman who preceded you, in respect to the cost of produc- 
tion, with or without the loading. 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. Yes, sir; I know it is. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Your information and knowledge is different from 
his? 

Mr. FocHT. It is in contradiction. I do not mean to call the man a 
liar. It is a difference in his opinion of it. I do not use that word. 
I want to be polite about it. 

Mr. Clough. I differ with the opinion of the gentleman in that 
matter. 



EEJEOTJON OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER, 13 

Mr.^ FocHT. If it doesn't reduce the cost of production, and it 
doesn't shorten the life of the paper, then wliy all this objection 
to it? 

Mr. HoPFENMAiER, The clay is used at times to give the paper a 
surface — that is, the printing paper. In some cases it would be 
better to have a little clay in it. That is so the paper will print 
better, " ' 

Mr, Clough, Since Mr. Hopfenmaier differs fi'om my opinion. I 
would like to ask him if he is jjart owner of a print-paper company? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. I can give you more authority on the subject 
of paper making, if you desire. 

Mr. FiNLEY. How long have you been in the paper business ? 

Mr. FocHT. This loading business — now, we are all 21 years old 
and ought to know. 

The Chairman. Here is what an English expert says on the sub- 
ject : 

From 3 to 10 or 15 per cent appears to be about the extreme range for em- 
ploying the material (china clay) as a necessary ingredient in the proclnction 
of various classes of paper, above which figure the addition of loading material 
may be considered as an adulteration. Sometimes nearly twice the largest 
amount named is emiiloyed, no doubt, to meet the exigencies of keen competi- 
tion — from foreign sources especially. 

Mr. Ceougiu How old a book is that, Senator, from which you 
have read? 

The Chairman. This is Watt's book on the Art of Papermaking, 
edition of 1907. 

Mr, Finley. How long have you been in the paper business, Mr. 
Hopfenmaier ? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. In the actual buying of paper for nearly 40 
years, 

Mr, Finley, In the manufacture of paper, how long? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier. About 15 years. 

Mr. Finley, If you were to put 20 per cent of ash in the manufac- 
ture of paper, what would be the effect on the paper? 

Mr, Hopfenmaier. Well, Judge, 20 per cent of ash in the paper 
would cheapen the price of the paper; that is, to the party who 
manufactured it. 

Mr, Finley, How much? 

Mr. Hopfenmaier, Well, if you gentlemen will calculate, you can 
buy clay from $12 to $15 a ton, and the kind of pulp that is used — - 
that we use here — is $50 and $60 a ton, so you can tell what the dif- 
ference is. 

Mr, Clough. Do you retain 100 per cent of the clay that is put in 
your pkper? 

Mr, Hopfenmaier. There is no use laughing, Mr. Clough; I have 
been at it as long as you have. I don't want to say anything as to 
your paper, or anyone else's. It doesn't do a gentleman any good 
talking about the other fellow, 

Mr. Clough. He has qualified as an expert, and I have simply 
asked him if he retained 100 per cent of the clay added. 

Mr. Hopfenmaier, I am not an expert in paper making, and I do 
not pretend to be, but I do say any percentage of clay put in the pulp 
reduces the cost. 



14 REJECTION OP BOOK FEINTING PAPER. 

Mr. Barnhart. I want to help you out to this extent in relation to 
what you said. I feel you are on safer ground than the man 

Mr. HoPFENMAiER. What is that? 

Mr. Barnhart. I say that I want to help you out this much: A 
man who has followed pretty closely the specifications and stands 
here making an argument is on safer ground than the man who has 
fallen far short. I intend that as a compliment. 

Mr. FocHT. You differ in your opinion from the gentleman who 
has testified previously to you in regard to the loss in loading on the 
clay that is put in. If you put in 100 per cent and lost 60 or 70 per 
cent, in that case the clay would cost more than the wood pulp. How 
about that? 

Mr. HopFENMAiER. We do not make paper that way. These people 
may, but I can not tell you. 

Mr. Clough. May I inquire what percentage you do retain? 

Mr. HoPFENMAiER. I Can not do this. 

Mr. Clough. What I want to know, for my information, is the 
actual amount of clay retained in your process. 

Mr. HoPFENMAiER. Well, my friend, I will give you that informa- 
tion. I will write for it. 

Mr. Clough. I should like to have it, certainly if it saves you so 
much clay. 

Mr. HoPFENMAiER. I will send it to you. 

STATEMENT OF MR. D. E. DOTJTY, ASSOCIATE PHYSICIST, BUREAU 

OF STANDARDS. 

The Chairman. Mr. Douty, tell the committee your experience 
with using clay, whether it benefits the paper, whether the paper will 
last longer with it in or a shorter time, whether it cheapens the cost 
of the paper, and also whether there ought to be an allowance over 
and above the actual figures of the sample, and if so, how much 
of an allowance. 

Mr. DouTY. I would say to the committee, that I am not a manu- 
facturer, and I prefer not to make any statements in reference 
to the losses of the mill, or anything of that sort. My interest in 
paper has been entirely from the standpoint of the analysis of the 
paper. It is our function at the Bureau of Standards to test the 
standard samples, as they are submitted to us by the Public Printer, 
and then to test the samples on deliveries which are submitted to us 
by the Public Printer. The selection of samples for standard and 
the selections of samples on delivery are entirely controlled by the 
Public Printer. The analyses made in the laboratory should be 
considered with a reasonable limit of tolerance. In making an ash 
determination, taking the same samples of paper, and making two 
determinations, a chemist can not get exactly the same values m the 
two determinations. We have certain limits of accuracy. He can not 
make his weighings exactly the same. 

Mr. Barnhart. What would be the extreme range? 

Mr. DouTY. I am going to tell you that. , The variation in the ash 
determinations would probably not exceed one-fifth of 1 per cent. 
He should be able to duplicate his values on the same sample of paper 
easilj^ within that limit. That would be the extreme range. Our 
chemists have determined that accuracy a number of times, and on 



BEJEOTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 15 

this particular sample of paper in question made their determina- 
tions 1.05, 1.06, and 1.07. This shows the range of values. In report- 
ing the ash we do not report it nearer than the nearest five-hun- 
dredths of 1 per cent. That, you see, allow^s for the variation in the 
actual determination. 

In an attempt to duplicate a sample of paper, it is our impres- 
sion that a manufacturer can duplicate the ash in the paper within 
about 15 per cent. That is, if he should wish to get 2 per cent 
in his paper, he should not vai-y more than 1.65 to 2.15. At 18 per 
cent it would be 2.70, and he should be able to duplicate it within 15 
per cent. The accuracy with which he can duplicate the sample will 
depend upon the accuracy with which he weighs his pulp. When he 
determined the moisture in his pulp, and determined the elements of 
his furnish carefully, he can come very close; but if he simply sends 
out in his stock room and has so many pounds of pulp thrown in, 
regardless of the water it contains, of course he can not duplicate the 
sample within that range. 

Now, in this particular sample, 1.05, the measurement which has 
been made is probably correct. From pure sulphite pulp and from 
pure soda pulp the ash from the pulp will seldom exceed seve'n-tenths 
of 1 per cent. That is, in burning a sample of soda or sulphite pulp 
the ash which results will seldom amount to more than seven-tenths 
of 1 per cent. An example of the amount which is natural in rag 
papers can be seen easily in ledger papers. They contain no filler, 
and still would have 0.4 and 0.5 per cent of ash. 

In the mill, where perhaps the stock is not quite as carefully han- 
dled as in the laboratory, it is possible sulphite pulp and soda pulp, 
without any filler, might show ash as high as 1.50 per cent, and I 
would not attempt to state a definite limit, for that depends some- 
what upon the care of the preparation. 

In regard to the amount of clay lost in manufacture, I would not 
wish to make a statement on that, because it depends entirely upon 
processes in the mill. A careful mill will save as much of its clay as 
it can. 

Mr. FocHT. Do you say that to lose two-thirds of the clay would 
cost as much as the pulp, and that there would be no advantage in 
putting the clay in, except to make a better paper? Do you believe 
that paper manufactured with any system would lose two-thirds of 
the clay put in ? 

. Mr. DouTY. I should not like to make a statement on that. In 
visiting the manufacturing plants, however, and noticing some of the 
processes in vogue, I should think perhaps in some mills it might be 
possible. 

Mr. FocHT. And do you think it would be possible, if a sample con- 
tains 1.05 per cent of ash, that the manufacturer would be living up 
to the contract putting in as high as 15 per cent? 

Mr. DouTY. I should think not. 

Mr. FocHT. Do you think it possible that could be haphazard work, 
or would it be intentional loading of clay ? 

Mr. DouTY. I don't think there is any question about that. If the 
contractor had in advance the knowledge that the paper contained 
practically no filler and he put in 15 per cent loading material, he 
evidently did it intentionally. 



16 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER, 

STATEMENT OF MR. F. P. VEITCH, CHIEF OF LEATHER AND 
PAPER LABORATORY, BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 

The Chairman. Mr. Veitch, of the Bureau of Chemistry, is here, 
and we Avill have a short statement from him along the same line as 
testified to by Mr. Douty. 

Mr. Veitch. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, our 
work has also been along the line of testing and making examinations 
of paper and paper-making materials. I am not a paper maker, 
though I have visited many mills and have studied the subject con- 
siderably ; still I am not a paper maker, so I do not care to go deeply 
into that question ; but, as I said the other day, on the question of the 
loading of paper, filler is added either for the purpose of increasing 
opacity or making weight, and it has in addition the effect of de- 
creasing strength and decreasing durability. Papers and paper pulps, 
as made in the mill, may contain, I think, as high as 3 per cent of 
natural ash, though this is very rare and would indicate either poor 
handling in the mill or a w\ater which contained a large amount of 
mineral matter. And, as Mr. Douty says, working with pure mate- 
rials he has found less than 1 per cent. Now, I do not think you can 
expect all mills, normally, to run less than 1 per cent because of th^ 
mill conditions, but I feel certain that no natural ash should run 
ever over 3 per cent, and the presence of more than that amount of 
ash indicates, in my judgment, the use of a filler either directly or in 
old papers which contained filler originally. 

Next, as to the retention of clay in the mill, I can not state from 
personal knowledge, but the literature on the subject seems to indi- 
cate the retention is anywhere from 60 to 80 per cent. Thus there may 
be 30 or 40 per cent loss of filler in the mill. 

The Chairman. If there are no questions the members of the com- 
mittee desire to ask Mr. Veitch, he will be excused. 

STATEMENT OF MR. H. F. HARRISON, OF NEW YORK. 

The Chairman. Mr. Harrison, we will now hear from you. 

Mr. Harrison. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of this committee, I 
am here representing the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co. I have 
been with them for 20 years— ever since they started. Our policy 
has always been to deliver as near as we could to what we had sold, 
and in order to show you gentlemen that there has been no attempt on 
our part to cheapen the paper for the Government, I want to read 
you a circular letter I wrote the mills February 3, 1911. We have 
five different paper mills — one at Piedmont, W. Va. ; one at Coving- 
ton, Va. ; one at JSIechanicsville, N. Y. ; one at Tyrone, Pa. ; and one 
at Williamsburg, Pa. This letter was directed to each one of our 
mills, and is as follows: 

Gentlemen : We are sending you to-day copj of the proposals for paper for 
the Government Printing Office. We have not been awarded anything direct, 
but the following lots were awarded to Andrews, and, of course, we expect to 
make the paper: Lots 3. 4, 5, 9, 11, 12. 1.3, 15, 20. 22, 24, 56, and 62. We do not 
know iust how we shall divide this business among the mills, and it will depend 
entirely on how they are fixed for orders and how good a sheet of paper tbey 
deliver. 



EEJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 1*? 

We are also sending you samples showing the paper that we shall have to 
match, anrl we want onr mills that make this paper to spre.ui themselves in 
getting a close mntch. Of course it will not make any difference if our paper is 
better, but it must be fully as strong, thick for weight, finished equally :!s good, 
and the color identical. There must also be great care taken in winding the 
rolls. See that they are carefully labeled with the Government Printing Office 
labels that will be sent to you. and also the sheet paper must be cut perfectly 
true and the cases labeled with the regular Government label. 

We want you to read over these specifications and see that every part of our 
deliveries is right up to the mark. If you will read carefully all through these 
specifications, there will be no chance for a mistake in any particular when the 
orders come to you. All of our orders to you will specify the lot number, so 
that you will have full information. 

Now, we were very anxious to make our deliveries to the Govern- 
ment the best vre knew how. We have been making paper for the 
Government Printing Office for 15 years, and we never before had 
questioned the amount of ash the paper should contain. 

Mr. Barnhart. What was the occasion of your writing that spe- 
cial letter? 

Mr. Harrison. To inclose the sample. 

Mr. Barnharf. Did you write a letter like that each time you in- 
closed a standard sample? 

Mr. Harrison. No. sir. I said that "We are sending you to-day 
copies of proposals which give the specifications." 

Mr. FiNLEY. You got a standard sample? 

Mr. Harrison. We did. 

Mr. FiNLEY. You analyzed that? 

Mr. Harrison. No. sir; we have been making paper for over 15 
years and the question has never before arisen as to the amount of 
ash the paper should contain. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Where is vour mill located? 

Mr. Harrison. Our office is in New York, and our mills are in 
Piedmont, W. Va.; Covington, Va.; Mechanicsville, N. Y. ; Tyrone, 
Pa.; and Williamsburg, Pa. 

The Chairman. I would like to call the attention of the commit- 
tee to this fact : That there was no special need in the past of having 
these papers rejected on account of an excess of ash, because the 
standard samples for the machine finish in 1907 contained 16.29 per 
cent, and in 1908 it was 12.65 of ash. The sample the Joint Com- 
mittee on Printing accepted from the Public Printer, and the sample 
that was sent the bidders contained that amount of ash. And so far 
as the supercalendered paper is concerned, in 1907 the standard 
sample contained 20.87 per cent of ash ; and in 1908, 21.80. In 1909 
it was 28.60, and in 1910 it was 21, so of course there was no need of 
having the paper rejected. That was the sample that was submitted 
them, and they came within the sample on the percentage of ash. 
The sample that was submitted this year contained, for the machine 
finish, 1.05 per cent of ash, and for the supercalendered, 5.65 per 
cent. 

Mr. Harrison. Why was the ash reduced? 

The Chairman. We thought it was not proper to carry that high 
a percentage of ash. 

Mr. Harrison. The State of Pennsylvania specify their paper shall 
be 35 per cent — 35 per cent, including clay. 

7918—11 2 



18 EEJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

The Chairman. I notice a letter here in our files from you to 
Mr. R. P. Andrews, stating -srhat would be an ideal paper to use and 
recommending 50 per cent sulphite, 35 per cent soda, and 15 per cent 
English cla3^ That came from your companj^ with the recommenda- 
tion that that would be the right kind of printing paper for the 
superintendent of jDrinting of the State of Pennsylvania to use. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Does your company supply the State of Pennsyl- 
vania ? 

Mr. Harrison. We do not. 

Mr. Barnhart. I want to ask you this, Mr. Harrison : I see in 13 
or 14 shipments, previous to inspection order No. 2051, the ash ranges 
from 11 to 16.87 per cent; then it drops down to 5.15 per cent and as 
low as 4.10 per cent. How did that happen? 

Mr. Harrison. It happened because the Public Printer complained 
of an excessive quantity of ash. He requested us to reduce the ash 
and we did so. 

There is another thing we desire to call your attention to, and that 
is the fact that our contract specified 24X38=48 pound book printing 
paper, but the Public Printer a month or so after decided 48-pound 
paper was too high, and decided to cut it down to 40-pound, and asked 
us if we would do so. It would cost us more to make it, but we 
readily said j^es. There is nothing in the contract that would compel 
us to make the change, but we said if that is what you wish we will 
make the change. 

Speaking of your standard sample. That was the standard sam- 
ple furnished us that we had an analysis made of yesterday, super- 
calendered paper, which shows ash 12.07 per cent, while the one the 
Senator has shows in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 per cent, and I would 
like to have that sample tested to see how near it comes to ours. We 
had samples sent to our Covington mil] and got reports on them yes- 
terday — 11.93 per cent and 12.43 per cent, two determinations made 
of the same sample. 

STATEMENT OF MR. R. P. ANDREWS, OF WASHINGTON. 

Mr. Andrews. This sample has just been sent to me with these tests 
on, and I delivered them to the Bureau of Standards, Dr. Douty, in 
person, on Saturday, with the original markings on. and the original 
notations of his on, and have just received a report from the Bureau 
of Standards, officially signed by S. W. Stratton, the director, and 
the sample that showed the test of 11.93 per cent the bureau finds 12.05 
per cent, or over 10 per cent difference between the sample that you 
sent us to test or make by and the standard sample as contained in 
the book. The other sample was marked 12.43 per cent. Our chemist 
and the Bureau of Standards make that 12.69 per cent, and there 
is still over 10 per cent difference in that sample that was sent to us 
by the Government Printing Office, sent out as their standard sample, 
and their sample retained in the book and retained at the Government 
Printing Office. 

The Chairman. This standard sample analysis is the average of 
12 sheets that we took of this paper and had tested by the Bureau of 
Standards before the sami^le was adopted by the Joint Committee 
on Printing as the standard for the year 1911-12. 



EEJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 19 

STATEMENT OF MR. HAREISON— Continued. 

Mr. Harrison. Do you think it is fair to make tests and have it 
in a book, but supply the contractors with sheets of paper which they 
test and find at variance with the sheets retained in the book? 

The Chairman. The contract calls particular attention to it. 

Mr. Harrison. There is another piece of an official sample. That 
shows only 12 per cent, which only shows that it varies, and especially 
in paper for commercial purposes. We make magazine paper ex- 
tensively. I will start with the Outlook — 22.03 per cent. Here is 
another sample of Outlook paper, one we made February 5. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Do you supply the Curtis people ? 

Mr. Harrison. Yes. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Would you make any difference in the price if com- 
pelled to comply with an ash percentage of 1.05? 

Mr. Harrison. No; the percentage of ash is greater, and we get 
more money for our paper than comes from the Government Print- 
ing Office. The Government Printing Office buys its stuff cheaper 
than anyone in the United States, and the requirements are more 
severe. We were asked some time ago to figure on the postal-card 
contract, and it was concluded that the postal-card contract would 
amount to about 3 per cent, and if we got it it would amount to about 
90 per cent of our trouble, so we thought we wouldn't trouble our- 
selves with it. 

I started to give you some information relative to ash in magazines. 
The first was the Outlook, 22.03 per cent; the Outlook again, 25.04 
per cent. Here is another sample of magazine paper at 19.06 per cent ; 
here is McClure's, 23.07 per cent ; here is another sample of McClure's, 
21.01 per cent; Harpers Weekly, 23.02 per cent; another sample of 
Harper's Weekly, 23.05 per cent; here is a sample, Government Print- 
ing Office, last year's contract, 6.06 per cent, and we never had a 
sheet rejected. Here is another Government Printing Office sample, 
delivered this year, 10 per cent; Leslie's Weekly, 26.01 per cent; 
Leslie's Weekly, 23.04 per cent ; Leslie's Weekly, 17.07 per cent. 

Mr. FiNLEY. This is magazine paper, and these publications are 
not calculated to be permanent. 

Mr. Harrison. Paper has not been manufactured from soda and 
sulphite pulp yet long enough to know how long it will last. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Isn't there a difference of opinion about that ? 

Mr. Harrison. I don't think there is any paper manufactured from 
soda pulp and sulphite pulp that has gone to pieces, that we have been 
able to hear about, and soda pulp has been used something over 25 
years. Sulphite pulp is the newer pulp and has not been used over 
25 years. 

Mr. FiNLEY. And clay? 

Mr. Harrison. Clay is always used. Paper made from clay, if you 
look at it under a glass, it looks like screen. Clay fills it and gives 
it a smooth printing surface. It adds to the opacity of the paper, so 
that the type of the printing will not show through. I don't think you 
can get more than 30 per cent, unless you put in something additional 
to hold it there, or some special process; but in the only process I 
know of thickness depends upon the amount of clay you can use. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Your position is, so far as is known, no amount of 
clay in the paper would shorten the life of the paper ? 



20 REJECTION OP BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

Mr. Harrison. We have never had any knowledge of it, and we 
have tried to get statistics. 

Mr. Barnhart. Would it cheapen the price of manufacture? 

Mr. Harrison. The price of manufacture you can figure. It would 
depend on the other ingredients to be used. The use of sulphites 
would cheapen the price. Figuring clay at $14 a ton, and you re- 
tained one-third, and $42 is the price of soda pulp, I think $42 or $43 
is about the price of it to-day, so that it hardly cuts any figure. If a 
man should come into our office to-day and say " I want a thousand 
reams of paper running 15 or 20 per cent," and another man should 
come in and not say an3^thing about the percentage, I would not 
make any difference in the price. 

Mr. Barnhart. How nearly can you comply with the standard 
sample for machine-finished paper? 

Mr. Harrison. The natural ash will run over that. 

Mr. Barnhart. I am asking how near you can come to complying 
with a specification of that kind, 1.05 per cent. Would you range 
as high as 11.70 per cent ? 

Mr. Harrison. No. The question was never brought up. 

Mr. FiNLEY. How low a percentage of clay can you use without 
seriously interfering with your business in the manufacture of paper? 

Mr. Harrison. I suppose if we were to increase our percentage 
of soda pulp, and leaving out clay altogether, we might saj^ 1 or 2 or 
3 per cent. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Would you make any difference in that class of paper 
and just what you are doing now? 

Mr. Harrison. We would not agree to make it, because it gives a 
chance of rejection. There isn't a carload of paper we put in 

Mr. FiNLEY. You misunderstand my question. I ask you hoAV low 
a percentage of clay can you use without seriously interfering with 
your business in the manufacture of paper? 

INIr. Harrison. By increasing it, I should say, in the neighborhood 
of 5 per cent. I do not think the difference in cost would amount to 
a great deal. 

Mr. FiNLEY. Then it would be as cheap to make the paper with not 
more than 5 per cent of clay in as it would with 15 per cent of clay? 

Mr. Harrison. It would depend upon how much soda pulp we 
could use on the heavier paper. We could use some pulp. 

Mr. FiNLEY. But your contract with the Printing Office 

Mr. Harrison. Our contract witlr the Government Printing Office 
said that approximately 5 per cent in the paper, and we would make 
it as near as we could, but we would not guarantee it to one-half of 1 
per cent. 

The Chairman. Do you mean to say you would not be safe with a 
5 per cent requirement? 

Mr. Harrison. I suppose we could keep it under 5 per cent. I 
notice one paper company keeps it under 5 per cent. 

The Chairman. The Champion Coated Paper Co. have two ship- 
ments — one 2 per cent and one is around 2.10 per cent. 

Mr. Harrison. The Champion Coated Paper Co. has a very cheap 
soda pulp. It is really a by-product, and if they used 10 per cent 
of clay they would not get anywhere near the strength requirements. 

The Chairman. The strength requirements are complied with. 

Mr. Harrison. They can not put the 10 per cent of clay in and yet 
get the strength requirements. 



EEJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 21 

The Chairman. The Government chemists and experts we have 
say that the use of clay not only lessens the life of the paper but 
also cheapens it. If the Joint Committee on Printing should allow 
your firm to deliver paper showing 19 per cent ash and require an- 
other firm to deliver paper with not over 1.05 per cent of ash, I do not 
think we could justify such action. We want it understood that the 
delivery of this paper must be as per contract. We want everybody 
placed on the same basis. The Joint Committee on Printing has no 
pets or favorites. We want all to stand upon the same footing and 
for all to know that the requirements will be exactly the same for 
every manufacturer. We will not say to one manufacturer that he 
is required to deliver paper containing 1.05 per cent ash and to 
another that he can deliver paper wdth 19 per cent of ash, both 
having bid on the same sample. 

Mr. Harrison. Don't you think it is fair to the bidders to specify 
these things in the contract? 

The Chairman. It is in the contract now, but so far as I am con- 
cerned, it will be made even plainer in the future. 

Mr. Harrison. The contract should show what it contains. 

Mr. Cloitgh. If the committee should say 5 per cent of ash we 
would want them to be reasonable in this respect, that sometimes our 
paper might run 4 per cent, sometimes it might run 6 per cent. We 
would aim to have it make 5 per cent all the time, and while it might 
run slightly over or a little under it would be a reasonable fulfill- 
ment of the contract. 

The Chairman. You need have no misunderstanding about future 
contracts. If the committee requires that yoii shall not exceed 5 per 
cent it w411 mean that you are not to exceed that limit. 

STATEMENT OF MR. ANDREWS— Continued. 

Mr. Andrews. Mr. Chairman, this is a very important matter I 
would like to get before the committee. I made the statement we 
had tested the standard sample. This is the sample sent out to us all 
right. We found it contained 11.93 per cent of ash. I took the 
sample personally to Dr. Douty. 

The Chairman. We would want an identification of the sample. 
We don't know whether this is the sample that was sent you or not. 

STATEMENT OF MR. HARRISON— Continued. 

Mr. FocHT. Mr. Harrison, on high-class machines, Avould it be pos- 
sible to bring out fine half tones, 150 lines to the square inch, on paper 
that was not loaded above 5 per cent ? 

Mr. Harrison. Absolutely impossible. 

Mr. FocHT. That is the reason they load it up with clay? 

Mr. Harrison. That is one reason why they use it. 

Mr. FocHT. How much do you generally make on clay, above the 
pulp I That seems to be used with a pulp. 

Mr. Harrison. We always want to make the best paper we can, 
and we know that paper with 25 per cent of clay, for fine printing, 
is much better than paper with only 10 per cent of clay. 

The Chairman. What the committee is seeking to find out is 
whether you load your paper with clay to lessen the cost of produc- 



22 REJECTION or BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

tion. You say it is about the same as if pulp were used. The experts 
have stated the reverse. We have no special interest in having a 
paper for the finest half-tone cuts. 

Mr. Harrison. All the paper manufacturer wants is to know what 
you do want, and he will give it to you as near as he can; but he 
doesn't know from your specifications that you do not expect super- 
calendered paper to contain more than 5 per cent of ash and the ma- 
chine-finished pajjer more than 1.05 per cent. We would have to 
know what the requirements are. So far as we are concerned, it is 
not a matter of cost. 

The Chairman. It is now nearly 12 o'clock and the committee will 
take a recess until 8 o'clock to-night. 

(Whereupon, at 12 o'clock m., a recess was taken until 8 o'clock 
p. m.) 

EVENING SESSION. 

At the expiration of the recess the joint committee reassembled. 

Present: Mr. Smoot (chairman), Mr. Page, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. 
Finley, and Mr. Focht. 

Mr. Samuel B. Donnelly, the Public Printer; Capt. Henry T. 
Brian, the Deputy Public Printer; Mr. Frank C. Wallace, the fore- 
man of printing. Government Printing Office; Mr. Howard L. 
Strawn, inspector for the Joint Committee on Printing; Mr. D. E. 
Douty, associate physicist. Bureau of Standards; and Mr. F. P. 
Veitch, chief, leather and paper laboratory. Bureau of Chemistry, 
appeared. 

The Chairman. The Public Printer desires to make a statement to 
the committee, and we will therefore now hear what Mr. Donnelly 
has to say in relation to this question under consideration. 

STATEMENT OF MR. SAMUEL B. DONNELLY, PUBLIC PEINTER. 

Mr. Donnelly. Mr. Chairman, I want to go back just one year in 
the history of these paper samples and state that the standard sample 
of machine-finished printing paper last year was selected from a de- 
livery made during the year 1909-10, and showed 1.15 per cent ash, 
Bureau of Standards, and 1.2 per cent ash, Bureau of Chemistry. 

The deliveries of machine-finished printing paper, made during the 
contract year 1911 by the Champion Coated Paper Co., and from 
which the standard for the present year was selected, show a per- 
centage of ash varying from 0.65 of 1 per cent to 4.72 per cent, with 
an average of about 3 per cent. 

The standard sample for 1910-11 shows 90 per cent sulphite and 10 
per cent soda, Bureau of Standards. The deliveries vary from 50 per 
cent sulphite and 50 per cent soda to 90 per cent sulphite and 10 
per cent soda. 

The standard sample for the present year, 1911-12, which was taken 
from a delivery of the Champion Coated Paper Co., does not rep- 
resent the average of ash for the year's deliveries. 

The deliveries of the New York & Pennsylvania Co. on machine- 
finished printing paper for the last paper contract year show a per- 
centage of ash varying from 1.20 per cent to 11.46 per cent, and a 



REJECTION OF BOOK PEII^TING PAPER. gS 

lower percentage of sulphite than contained in the deliveries of the 
Champion Coated Paper Co. 

The standard sample of sized and snpercalendered paper for the 
year 1909-10 showed 28.G0 per cent ash. Bureau of Standards, and 
26.G9 per cent ash, Bureau of Chemistry, a variation of 2 per cent. 

The standard sample for sized and snpercalendered paper for the 
last contract year, 1910-11, was taken from deliveries made on the 
standard sample just referred to, and showed 12.45 per cent ash, 
Bureau of Standards, and 12.7 per cent, Bureau of Chemistry. 

The deliveries of sized and snpercalendered paper accepted during 
that contract year from the Champion Coated Paper Co. show a 
varying degree of ash from 3.05 per cent to 15.65 per cent, with a 
great variation of the percentages of sulphite and soda pulp. 

The Chairman. Mr. Donnelly, the standard sample as recorded 
here in the book isn't that high. 

Mr. DoK NELLY. This is for last year, from which that standard 
sample was taken. The deliveries of sized and snpercalendered paper 
made by the New York (*c Pennsylvania Co. during the last paper 
contract year shoAv a variation of the i^ercentage of ash from 4.80 to 
11 per cent. 

The standard sample on double-coated book paper for the present 
fiscal year shows 38.72 per cent of ash, while the deliveries of the 
contractor (R. P. Andrews Paper Co.) show an average percentage 
of ash of 24.50 per cent, or 14 per cent less than the standard sample. 

Relative to the matter of loading paper, I shall call attention to the 
following opinion taken from Practical Paper-Making, by George 
Clapperton, published in London bv Crosby Lockwood & Son, in 
1907: 

Loading. — It is not an uncouunon idea witli a great many i>eople that, in 
adding loading materials to the paper in the process of mannfactnre, the paper 
maker is actnated by a motive akin to that which prompts the dairyman to 
water the milk. 

Thongh the percentage of loading in some papers would seem to justify such 
an opinion, yet. as a rule, the loading is added with a distinct view to making 
the pai>er more suitable for the iiarticular purpose to which it is applied. In 
the case of printing papers especially, the addition of 1.5 or IG per cent of load- 
ing, by making them more absorbent, enables them to print much better, and 
lessens in a considerable degree the friction when in contact with the types. 

The first thing that the paper maker must take into consideration when select- 
ing a loading material is that its chemical nature is such that when in contact 
with the free acids or chlorine compounds liable to be present in the pulp no 
chemical or physical change will result. V>'hen that has been satisfactorily 
settled, the next requirement to be looked to is freedom from sand or coarse 
particles, which would tend to imi)air the value of the paper; and lastly, the 
color should be bright enough to blend with the shades of paper for which it 
is intended. 

Kaolin, or china clay, as it is usually termed, is the loading usually employed 
in the making of news, printing, and the lower qualities of writings. The clay 
is made into a thin cream with water, generally in a chest fitted with a re- 
volving agitator, so that when furnished to the engine it will always be of the 
same consistency. Some paper makers mix it with resin size, the idea being 
that in this way it is more firmly held by the fibers and less liable to pass 
through the meshes of the machine wire. 

Before running into the beater it should be carefully strained, so that any 
sand or unground particles may be kept back. The sieves used for this purpose 
should be very fine, as even the best grades of clay contain a considerable 
portion of extraneous matter. 

China clay, in addition to ennl)ling the paper loaded with it to take up the 
printing ink more readily, helps materially in bringing up the surface when 



24 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

calendered, though from its power of absorbing moisture the high finish thus 
obtained is liable to go back if exposed in a damp atmosphere. Should au 
excessive amount be added, or if it has been imperfectly strained, the pressure 
of the calender rolls will have the effect of squeezing the coarser particles out 
and leaving the sheet pierced with innumerable very minute holes. 

Carl Hoffman, the German expert, in his practical treatise on the 
manufacture of paper, Philadelphia, 1873, says: 

Every kind of paper will carry a small proportion of clay, say 5 to 15 per 
cent, without size. Papers, of course, of medium qualities are not injured by 
such an addition, but large amounts must always be considered as a deteriora- 
tion. The paper on which this book is printed contains 10 per cent of clay. 

F. P. Veitch, Bureau of Chemistry, in Report No. 89, Department 
of Agriculture, fixes 5 per cent as the maximum ash for the highest 
grade of machine-finished book papers and 10 per cent as the maxi- 
mum ash for highest grade of supercalendered paper. 

For the present paper-contract year the Public Printer selected as 
a standard sample the sheet having the highest tensile strength that 
-<30uld reasonably be required of the contractors. The standard sam- 
ple shows a percentage of ash of 1.05. 

The deliveries made during the present year by the Champion 
Coated Paper Co. show a variation of from 0.85 per cent of ash to 
3.10 per cent. 

The deliveries from the New York & Pennsylvania Co. show a 
variation of from 0.03 per cent of ash to 5.i0 per cent. 

The deliveries of the R. P. Andrews Paper Co. show a variation 
(on iDaper shipped before the receipt of my notice) of from 5.90 to 
16.87 per cent. 

Paper delivered bv Lewis Hopfenmaier show a variation of from 
2.17 to 11.30 per cent. 

Deliveries of sized and supercalendered paper from the Friend 
Paper Co. shoAv 5.82 to 9.42 per cent ; from the New York & Pennsyl- 
vania Co., 15.52. and from the R. P. Andrews Paper Co. (before the 
receipt of my notice) of from 10.35 to 19.82 per cent. 

The test of the.se deliveries made by the Bureau of Standards and 
the examination of the board of inspection and the Public Printer 
show them to have been equal to the standard sample in quality. 

Regardless of the prophecy of chemists and the speculation of 
philosophers, no man can prove that sized and supercalendered paper 
containing 19 per cent of ash is not as durable as a sized and super- 
calendered paper made from a different grade of pulp and formulae 
and showing 5.65 per cent ash. Bound volumes of magazines printed 
on paper showing more than 20 per cent of ash at the time sized and 
supercalendered paper was first manufactured are found on exami- 
nation to be intact and in perfect condition. 

This sized and supercalendered paper is used in the Government 
Printing Office principally in the production of a finer class of work 
and work containing illustrations in the text, and I say as a printer 
that for this class of work the best results can onW be obtained from 
a sized and supercalendered paper, in the manufacture of which filler 
is used. And as T stated to you m my letter of July 24 — 

I have not established a new standard for either the machine-finish printing 
pai^er or the sized and sui^ercalendered paper. I have decided that even though 
deliveries on lots 1 to 15, inclusive, are equal to the standard sample and con- 
form to it in every particular, I will not accept the jiaper if it shows more than 
5 per cent of ash; and should deliveries on lots 19 to 23, inclusive (sized and 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 25 

supercalendered paper), conform to the standard sample in every particular. 
I will not accept said deliveries if, on analysis, tliey show more than 10 jier 
cent of ash. 

When the matter was first called to my attention by the chairman 
of the board of inspection, it received immediate consideration. The 
correspondence with the R. P. Andrews Paper Co., on file with your 
committee, will show that I heard practically the same statements 
that have been made to your committee this mornini^. 

The representative of the New York & Pennsylvania Co. called 
upon me, and in the presence of the paper board made the same argu- 
ments that he presented to your committee this morning. 

The analj^sis of the standard sample is printed thereon on a few 
sets, which are bound in book form for the use of the Public Printer 
and the board of inspection, and for their information solely. It is 
not a part of the contract, and the analysis and formula are not 
referred to in the contract. 

I call your attention to the fact that the list submitted to you 
of machine finish and sized and supercalendered paper accepted dur- 
ing the i^resent paper-contract year contains many inspection num- 
bers that refer to the same order and to paper manufactured on the 
same rim at the mill. An inspection ticket is made out at the Govern- 
ment Printing Office for every delivery, and deliveries are made in 
carload, and sometimes in fractions of carload, lots; therefore the 
great variety shown in the ash on these papers is in many cases shown 
in the analysis of paper made at the same time and from the same 
" furnish.'' 

I further call your attention to the fact that the analyses of the 
machine-finish paper accej^ted during the present contra-ct year from 
the R. P. i\.ndrews Paper Co. in nine cases show a trace of rag; 
that the analyses of the machine-finish printing paper accepted from 
the Champion Coated Paper Co. show a trace of rag in nine cases, 
and 3 per cent of rag in one case; and that in a number of instances 
this paper is made from 100 per cent sulphite stock. 

I also call your attention to the fact that deliveries made on 
machine-finish printing paper by the New York & Pennsylvania 
Co. show a trace of rag in two analyses; machine printing paper 
delivered by Lewis Hopfenmaier shows as high as 5 per cent of 
rag on G.55 ash analysis, 10 per cent of rag on a 0.85 ash analysis, 
and a 10 per cent of rag in a 10.05 ash analysis, and 5 per cent of 
rag in 11.30 ash analysis; in fact, a trace of rag in all cases. The 
King Paper Co., in sized and supercalendered paper in deliveries 
showing 0.45 of ash, has used 10 per cent of rag. 

The standard paper in none of these instances shows rag, and 
neither was the contractor required to supply rag. A number of de- 
liveries of sized and supercalendered paper contains a trace of rag, 
a delivery received June 26 showing 5 per cent of rag. The West 
Virginia Pulp & Paper Co. and the New York & Pennsylvania Co. 
do not use rags at all. They are wood-pulp mills distinctively, and 
are located more than 100 miles from any mill that uses rags in the 
manufacture of paper. 

I further request you to compare the analyses of the standard 
sample, as shown by the Bureau of Standards and the Bureau of 
Chemistry, in the book I submit of standard samples for 1000-10, 
and I further advise vou that on account of the variation between 



26 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

the analyses of the chemists I was compelled to select one chemist 
and base my judgment on his analyses. 

The analysis of the standard sample and of the paper delivered is 
not referred to in the printing act, and the analysis has been made by 
direction and in the discretion of the Public Printer and solely for 
the purpose of aiding him in arriving at a conclusion. 

In such cases the Public Printer must be guided by his experience 
and the experience of those who are recognized as authorities in the 
printing trade. Xone of the known authorities, including Mr. Douty. 
of the Bureau of Standards, and Mr. Veitch, of the Bureau of Chem- 
istry, contend that 10 per cent of filler used in paper is of itself 
injurious to the paper. 

I respectfully submit that my action in this matter has been for 
the best interests of the Government, and request your honorable 
committee to reconsider its action as communicated to me in a letter 
of the chairman, dated August 9. Your decision of August 9 is 
practically a command for the Public Printer to compel contractors 
to comply Avith the formula of the standard sample as given in the 
analysis made by the Bureau of Standards. A requirement of «uc]i 
conditions will result in confusion, and delay in the execution of the 
public printing and binding. 

I respectfully petition your committee to apj)rove of my conclu- 
sions relative to the percentage of ash, leaving me free to exercise the 
duties and the power vested in the Public Printer by the printing 
laws. 

When I assumed the duties of the office of Public Printer. I left a 
pubjic office which I held for a number of years, and in which I had 
a vote, as chairman and member of committees in expending annually 
an average of more than $'20,000,000. I liave been Public Printer for 
three years. In that time the work of Congress has been promptly 
executed, more cheaply than before; the number of employees has 
been reduced ; the cost of printing has been reduced, and for the first 
time in more than 20 years the office has been operated without a 
deficiency appropriation, and I do not think I am egotistical when I 
saj to you that I hope, if not in this case possibly in some other in 
the future, you Avill let a few crumbs of commendation drop from 
your table. 

The Chairman. I don't know as there is anyone else who desires 
to make a statement. 

Mr. Donnelly. The members of the board are here, if j^ou desire 
to ask them any questions. 

STATEMENT OF MR. FRANK C. WALLACE, FOREMAN OF PRINTING. 

The Chairman. I would like to ask the other two members of the 
board whether they disagree with the report of Mr. Strawn as to the 
amount of ash in the papers? 

Mr. Wali-ace. I do not know what report Mr. Strawn made, but 
I certainly think that supercalendered paper with from 10 to 15 per 
cent of ash is not too much for good printing — for a good printing 
surface. I do not think that deteriorates the paper. In fact, paper 
of the nature of sulphite and soda pulp has not lived long enough 
to determine Avhether ash does deteriorate it; and in machine-finished 
23aper I would say that 5 per cent would be all right, and I would not 
want to reject 8 per cent. 



BEJEGTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 27 

Mr, Page. You say you think it is just as good if it has 15 per 
cent ash? 

Mr. Wallace. I think it is just as good, so far as the life of the 
paper is concerned ; and I think it is better for printing surface. 

Mr. Page. If it is just as good, couldn't the Government buy its 
paper at a less price if it were to permit the filling of 15 per cent, 
or would permit the filling of 25 per cent? 

Mr. Wallace. I think not. 

Mr. Page. The testimony had here to-day rather leads to the be- 
lief, I think — the testimony of Mr. Hopfenmaier — that paper having 
15 per cent filling or above could be made for less money. 

Mr. Wallace. I am not sure about that; but I believe it could not. 

The Chairman. Are you a paper manufacturer? 

Mr. Wallace. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Then you know nothing about it, except what you 
hav£ heard? 

Mr. Wallace. No, sir; only Avhat I have learned from experience. 

The Chairman. You were never in a paper mill to work or man- 
age it? 

Mr. Wallace. No, sir. 

Mr. Page. On what do you predicate your belief that it can not be 
made for less? 

Mr. Wallace. It might be, but I do not believe it would. That 
is, from my general experience with paper, and the kinds of paper, 
and so forth. My people have always been in the newspaper busi- 
ness, and are to-day, and of course I have had a good deal of expe- 
rience, and have been at mills and heard their talk. 

Mr. FocHT. You say it doesn't hurt the paper to have 5, 8, or 15 
per cent of ash. Now, could you produce such results as is shown, for 
instance, in the Farmer's Yearbook for the year 1910, Avithout this 
percentage ? 

Mr. Wallace. Do you mean illustrations? 

Mr. FocHT. Illustrations; yes. 

Mr. Wallack. With double-coated book paper you have from 30 
to 40 per cent ash. You could not get as good an impression from the 
illustrations if the paper Avas not loaded. 

Mr. FocHT. If there had been no china clay in it, could you have 
produced the same quality of work ? 

Mr. Wallace. I don't think so. I don't think the variation in the 
printing of one or the other, however, would be to a large extent. 

Mr. FocHT. If there is no difference, why do these big magazines all 
use the loaded papers — the Ladies' Home Journal and the rest of the 
magazines of that nature ? 

Mr. Wallace. I am not speaking of superfinish. 

STATEMENT OF MR. DONNELLY— Continued. 

Mr. Donnelly. If you will permit me, I will say that they are 
printed on fast rotary presses, and they can not get, except on a very 
smooth-surfaced paper, the clear, distinct, fine print that they require, 
or that they wish to serve their customers with, therefore they use 
the very highly loaded papers, and all of the magazines — I think 
Harper's, recently — put their illustrations on rotary presses, which 
requires them to use a heavily calendered and heavily loaded paper. 



28 KEJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

Mr. FocHT. If they didn't have this in, they couldn't print that 
kind of a paper? 

Mr. Donnelly. Yes. 

Mr, FocHT. In other words, they buy more of that kind of paper 
than any other? 

Mr. Donnelly. They all buy more than we do, as you have heard 
to-day. 

Mr. FocHT. In order to purchase paper like that with the china 
clay added, they would be willing to pay more, probably, than we 
pay? 

Mr. Donnelly. It would be more economical. They are enabled 
to print illustrations on rotary presses. 

Mr. Page. The cheaper paper is actually better for them than the 
higher priced papers. 

Mr. FocHT. The cheaper paper, and it is better for their uses — 
cheaper paper than we have here, because it is loaded. 

Mr. Donnelly. I secured some samples of high-grade calendered 
paper from a company that has been talking of bidding for two or 
three years, but has not for the reason that the prices last year were 
too low. I told them to send some samples of their highest-grade 
paper 

Mr. Fin ley. What did they know about prices? 

Mr. Donnelly. They knew the prices of the preceding year. 
These samples I had analyzed, and they showed 20 per cent of ash 
on the light weights antl over 20 per cent on the heavy weights. 

Mr. Fletcher. I understood you gentlemen, when I came in, to 
take the position that this was not cheaper paper, and that if the 
Public Printer had bought to-day with that specification in it, he 
would have bought at no less price than he did buy with the speci- 
fications as they are now, 

Mr. Page. Mr. Donnelly, what do you say? Does it cost as much 
to make paper with 18 or 19 per cent load as it does to make a paper 
with 3 per cent of loading? 

Mr. Donnelly. I think that in the same mill, using similar mate- 
rials, that it would not cost them as much to make paper with 18 or 
20 per cent loading as it would with 3 per cent, but there are no two 
mills that are similar and which use the same grade of sulphite and 
the same gi'ade of soda. There is a variation, as I called your atten- 
tion to the fact that some manufacturers use 100 per cent sulphite, 
and in order to get our tensile strength they can not even use soda. 
The prices of sulphite vary. We can not go into that matter. It is 
none of our business, so long as the contractor gives us the results. 
We hold all these contractors to results in our present contracts. 

Mr. Page. ^^Hien buying this paper, couldn't we buy it at a less 
price if we should say to the manufacturer that we would accept it 
with 19 per cent filling? Couldn't we buy it for less under such 
conditions ? 

Mr. Donnelly. We did not buy it for any less. 

Mr. Page. You did not buy it for any less, but if it was known 
that that amount of filling would be accepted, don't you think we 
would get a lower bid? 

Mr. Donnelly. That would depend on the market for paper at the 
time the bids were asked for. 



J 



I 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER, 29 

The Chairman. We will take the New York & Pennsylvania 
Paper Co. — no, they do not use the filling, do they ? 

Mr. Donnelly. The New York & Pennsylvania Co. ? 

The Chairman. Well, we will take the West Virginia people. Do 
you claim that the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co., being a com- 
pany that manufactures in large quantities and is prepared, you 
know, to use filler, do you claim that they can not make paper cheaper 
by putting 19 per cent of china clay in it than they can if they are 
allowed to put only 3 per cent in it? 

Mr. Donnelly. I do not know what the amount would be; but, 
judging from my observations when visiting paper mills, I think 
that on the bulk of their paper they would make it slightly cheaper 
with 20 per cent filler than they would with 3 per cent filler. 

The Chairman. Now, what the Senator from Vermont was getting 
at is this: That if the West Virginia people knew at the time they 
bid that they could use 20 per cent of china clay instead of 3 per 
cent, wouldn't it be to the advantage of the Government of the 
United States in the way of securing a low bid? 

Mr. Donnelly. They were under that impression when they bid. 

The Chairman. Next year, if we say exactly how much china clay 
is allowed in the paper, and if we tell the bidders in the specifications 
that this paper can carry 20 per cent of china clay or only 3 per 
cent, have you any doubt, if the amount allowed to be carried were 
20 per cent, but that the price would be less ? 

Mr. Donnelly. I believe the price would be the same as it was 
this year, because they were under that impression when bidding. 

The Chairman. I say, take next year. 

Mr. Donnelly. I couldn't say the price would be less. I would 
say this : That if every other condition were the same as this year— ^ — • 

Mr. Page. Wipe that all out and take that as an academic ques- 
tion. Would these gentleman, if an offer were made next year, make 
that paper containing 20 per cent china clay for less than they would 
if it was to contain but 3 per cent of china clay ? 

The Chairman. If they didn't bid less, then they would be making 
a greater profit, wouldn't they? 

Mr. Donnelly. If they didn't bid less than their price for this 
year ? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Donnelly. They might, if the conditions and cost of materials 
were the same. All. the bidders this year were evidently under the 
impression that there was no restriction as to the amount of ash which 
might be contained therein. I have given you my decision and what 
I think the requirements should be. As this is the first time the 
matter has come up, I favor the insertion in future contracts of a 
limitation upon filler. 

Mr. Fletcher. Why take 20 per cent ? 

Mr. Donnelly. I don't want 20 per cent. 

Mr. Fletcher. Under the orders given, that is the maximum. 

The Chairman. No. 

Mr. Donnelly. We have cut the ash down every year. I said if 
any paper came is. showing more than 10 per cent of ash I would not 
accept it. 

Mr. Fletcher. Why talk about 20 per cent ? 



|!0 REJECTIOK OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

The Chairman. It is only in the last car. 

Mr. Donnelly. We have a number of papers in our contracts this 
year on which the requirements as to strength and other qualities 
are such that they can not use filler. 

Mr. Fletcher. It is all agreed the contract did specify the maxi- 
mum ash. 

Mr. Donnelly. The West Virginia Co. uses a high-grade sulphite, 
and they can give you a paper tough as blixen and conform to ever}' 
requirement by using 50 per cent sulphite and 20 per cent loading. 
The New York & Pennsylvania Co., with the quality of sulphite it 
uses, has got all it can do — and it must be beaten finely — ^to get the 
tensile strength. The cost of pulp to all these mills is diiferent. You 
notice the only bidders on these large quantities were the New York 
& Pennsylvania Co., the Champion Coated Paper Co., and the Michi- 
gan mills. The New England mills did not bid on these lots. 

Mr. FocHT. How far does the loading and tensile strength equalize 
itself? 

Mr. Donnelly. The more you load, the weaker you make the paper. 

Mr. FocHT. In order to load it you have to have the tensile 
strength ? 

Mr. Donnelly. Yes, sir. 

Mr. FocHT. ^Vliere does it equalize itself? Certainly somewhere — 
10 per cent or 15 per cent, or where? That is, when you have the 
primary strength to put the weaker stuif in? 

Mr. Donnelly. If I were buying sized and supercalendered paper 
for general book printing, I would fix the dead line at 20 per cent 
ash ; but as we are buying for the United States Government we have 
gradually during the past three years boosted up our standard. I 
think 10 per cent in sized and supercalendered paper low enough. We 
have had some experience with the Champion Coated Paper Co. along 
this line. Some of the deliveries of that company have had a hard, 
harsh surface upon which it is almost impossible to do good printing. 

Mr. Page. You have a specification for a paper you can do good 
printing on? 

Mr. Donnelly. What I mean is this : The art of paper making is 
not a scientific, fixed art. You put certain materials into a beater, 
and some of them go out with the water; you grind the pulp to a 
certain fineness and consistency, but the quality of the timber varies. 
The successful high-grade mills use the same gTade of wood pulp all 
the time. 

Mr. Page. Now one word in regard to this contract with the West 
Virginia Paper Co. Do you think the Committee on Printing would 
do wrong to urge an abatement of the price on that that runs 15 and 
16 per cent of ash? 

Mr. Donnelly. Well, if you look at it in that way — that you don't 
do wrong in trying to get all that you can out of a contractor. 

Mr. Page. You think in equity that we ought to take their papers ? 

Mr. Donnelly. I think in equity their papers have been equal to 
our sample, but in order to be on the safe side and avoid just what 
has occurred, I arbitrarily fixed a limitation of ash ; fixed a dead line. 

The Chairman. Let me ask you one question in that connection. 
I notice deliveries from, for instance, the Champion Coated Paper Co. 
The highest amount of ash in their paper was 3.30 per cent, and it 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 31 

ran clown to 0.83 of 1 per cent. These deliveries were being made at 
the same time the other contractors were delivering the same kind 
of paper running as high as 16 per cent. Now, do you think that 
that was right? Do 3^ou think that the Government' ought to have 
allowed such a thing? I do not. Supposing the Champion Coated 
Paper Co. had been delivering paper containing 16 per cent, would 
you have accepted it? 

Mr. Donnelly. I would have accepted the paper under the same 
conditions that I did from the West Virginia Paper Co. If the 
Champion Coated Paper Co. could use 10 per cent clay in their ma- 
chine-finished paper — they have used 12 per cent in the supercalen- 
dered paper — I say, if they could have done it and met the other 
requirements, they would have done it long ago. They use any- 
thing the}^ can jDut in. 

The Chairman. I was not asking you what they would do. 

Mr, Donnelly. Our standard samples Avere sent out, and they all 
had the same understanding relative to these samples— that there was 
no restriction as to the clay that they could use — that is, a reasonable 
amount, so long as they maintained the tensile strength. The analysis 
printed on the samples, as I have said to you, is made by the Public 
Printer solely for his information, and for the information of the 
board of inspection, and is printed upon a certain number of standard 
samples and they are bound up in this book for our use. This 
anah'Sis is necessary; first, to determine whether the paper contains 
the required amount of rag, and, second, to detect ground wood — and 
as a general guide in passing upon paper. It is not furnished the 
contractors. It is not printed on the samples sent to the contractors. 
It is not referred to in the specifications nor in the contract. 

Mr. Page. You do not think they were in duty bound or in honor 
bound to make an analysis? 

Mr. Donnelly. From my experience with the paper contractors, 
I feel that there is not one of them ever has an analysis made of the 
papers until he gets into trouble. The only analyses made by the 
contractors that have come to my attention were the analyses by 
Little & Co., when we had our disputes with the American Writing 
Paper Co., more than a year ago. 

The Chairman. Then, Mr. Donnelly, as I understand you, these 
people under the contract, as you interpret it, could put in 20 per cent 
of clay and yet fill the contract ? 

Mr. Donnelly. No. They can put in a reasonable amount. 

The Chairman. There is nothing in the contract that says anything 
about reasonable amount. 

Mr. Donnelly. We determine when the amount is reasonable. We 
determine that by our experience. 

The Chairman. We are speaking of the contract. 

Mr. Donnelly. Mr. Chairman, if I had a contract with you to de- 
liver a certain thing, and specifications were drawn, my delivery 
might contain an element not referred to in the specifications; but 
it is commonly known that I couldn't put sand in sugar, although 
there was no reference to sand whatever in the contract. 

The Chairman. No. You couldn't deliver sand for sugar, because 
that would not be sugar. But this is what I mean to say : The con- 



32 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER, 

tract says the attention of the bidders is directed to the requirements 
of section 7 of the act of January 12, 1895. which reads — 

The Public Printer shall compare every lot of paper delivered by any con- 
tractor with the standard of quality fixed upon by the Joint Committee on 
Printing, and shall not accept any paper which does not conform to it in every 
particular. 

Now, 3^011 claim that these people have complied with this contract 
in everj^ particular, because of the fact that its strength is all right, 
its finish is all right, its color is all right, that you do not say in the 
contract that they shall not use any ash, but you do specify some 
things that they shall not use. Your attitude is exactly the same, it 
seems to me, as that of Judge Moore and Mr. Harrison, because Judge 
Moore sa^'s, as did the representative of the West Virginia Pulp & 
Paper Co., that it Avas none of your business, or our business, if they 
put in 20, 25, or 30 per cent of ash, so long as they have not ptit in 
anything or gone contrary to the specifications that were made in the 
contract. 

Mr. Donnelly. That is not my position. I differ with them. I 
hold that they can not put in an unreasonable amount of clay and 
that they can not put in an amount of clay that is of itself deleterious. 
We took exception to the amount of ash that was shown in the West 
Virginia Co.'s deliveries. We took exception, and we fixed our rule 
upon the evidence, as the result of our experience and the evidence of 
those who are specialists and experts, and we fixed 5 per cent for ma- 
chine finished and 10 per cent for supercalendered. 

The Chairman. Will you explain to the committee how it is the 
West Virginia people come to us and say the sample you submitted 
to them analyzes 12' per cent, while the sample we have here shows 
only 5.G5 per cent of ash. 

Mr. Donnelly. I can onW explain it in this way, sir. I call jonr 
attention to the fact that in this list of deliveries on the present con- 
tract many of the items refer to the same order, and consist of paper 
made at the same time, and from the same furnish, and that these 
inspections are upon separate carloads as received. No two cars show 
the same analysis. 

The Chairman. I am speaking of the sample. 

Mr. Donnelly. I am also. The samples for this fiscal year for 
sized and supercalendered paper were taken from deliveries made 
during the past year — were taken from deliveries made during the 
last contract year — 1910-11. 

The Chairman. The standard sample for supercalendered for 
1910-11 reads: "Ash, 12.45 per cent," Bureau of Standards test. 

Mr. Donnelly. This is the paper of the last contract year, and 
shows ash 12.45, Bureau of Standards, and 12.07, Bureau of Chem- 
istry ; and our standard samples for this year have been taken from 
deliveries on last year's contracts. Deliveries on that contract having 
varied from 3.05 to 15.65 per cent ash, the standard samj)les for 
this contract year may have been selected or pulled from a lot or 
ream that contained only 5.65 or from a delivery that contained 12.45 
per cent ash. 

The Chairman. There is one strange thing I would like to have 
you explain. The standard sample of supercalendered paper as 
analyzed on September 28, 1910, shows 5.65 per cent of ash. Now, I 
notice that on October 4, 1910, tests on this paper showed 9.50 per 



I 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 33 

cent ash, while before that inspection tests showed 7.15 pev cent, 
3.05, 3.20, and 3.30 per cent. On October 5. after the standard sample 
had been selected and tested, the ash percentage ran up to 8.70; on 
October 7, to 8.65; October 14, to 9.55; November 9, to 12.15; Novem- 
ber 11, to 10.75; and November 14, to 10.75. 

Mr. Donnelly. No one can explain that, except the contractor. 
He may have bought Canadian pnlp last fall, and he may have 
changed his grade of pulp and ran a higher percentage of loading, 
I can not explain it. 

The Chairman. These are the samples we had analyzed to be the 
standard samples for this coming year. 

Mr. Donnelly. I don't think that they are. 

The Chairman. This is the report we get from you. 

Mr. Donnelly. I don't think that you did. 

The Chairman. This report is on lot 22, Champion Coated Paper 
Co., for 1910, 120-pound paper, and it was prepared by the inspector 
for the joint committee from the records of your ofHce. 

Mr. Donnelly. We had 120 pound and 140 pound. About this 
time we had a meeting of the paper board and decided we would 
eliminate the 140 pound entirely — that 120 pound was heavy enough — 
and we therefore ceased using the 140-pound paper. 

Mr. Page Doesn't the heavy-ash paper show a less number of 
surface inches per ton than the light ? 

Mr. Donnelly. I should not say so. 

Mr. Page. You think not? 

Mr. Donnelly. You refer to the sheetage. That is the advantage 
of using the light paper. We get more sheetage. 

The Chairman. What I wanted to get at was this: Is it probable 
that this sample here [exhibiting sample submitted by Mr. Andrews] 
was given to the West Virginia people after this tast had been made? 

Mr. Donnelly. No. Noav, this might be a standard sample [re- 
ferring to sample submitted by Mr. Andrews]. 

The Chairman. Explain to me how it happened that they received 
a sample showing 12 per cent of ash and no other bidder did. 

Mr. Donnelly. The work of getting out the samples is performed 
in the paper warehouse b}^ the storekeeper. I say to him, " Locate the 
best-looking deliveries that you can find, and hold them back for 
standard samples next year.'' I presume that he does so. The evi- 
dence of increased quality is evidence that he does so. This (sample) 
is for the 1911-12 contract, and a standard sample is mailed to the 
contractor with each order. The standard sample is delivered with 
the requisition by the storekeeper, who makes out the requisition for 
paper. He takes several sheets and stamps them *■' Samples." quality, 
strength, etc., and every manufacturer receives a set of three or half 
a dozen of these standard samples. Now. that is undoubtedly a 
duplicate or half of a standard sample. I don't know whether Mr. 
Strawn has complete samples of lots 19, 21, 22, and 23, but this is 
evidently one-half of a standard sample. 

The Chairman. Of course, I have not had it analyzed. The rep- 
resentative of the Andrews Co. stated to us what it analyzes. I have 
tried to find out how it happened they received a sample containing 
12 per cent of ash, but have failed so far. 

Mr. Donnelly. The further you go into analyses the more sur- 
prises you will find. Carter, Eice & Co.. in an analysis, found there 

7918—11 3 



34 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

was straw in our high-grade bristol, a fact that was never discovered 
b}^ anyone else. The analysts work with a microscope and fine instru- 
ments. If you have ever visited a paper mill, you would not be sur- 
prised at some of the results that they find. 

Mr, FocHT. Did you say some of these chemists find rag in the 
paper — a percentage of rag in these deliveries that you have ques- 
tioned ? 

Mr. Donnelly. Yes ; and there isn't a rag within 100 miles of the 
West Virginia mill. 

Mr. FocHT. I would like to have you tell how that happens. 

Mr. Donnelly. The manufacturers say that the workmen's over- 
alls and shirts are liable to get in the beaters. 

Mr. FocHT. There are several possible explanations for a little? 

STATEMENT OF MR. VEITCH— Continued. 

Mr. Veitch. Traces of rags, may be reported where there are no 
rags used in the mill. It may be due to the use of paper shavings 
in the mill or to an error in determination. A trace of rag may be re- 
ported erroneously when it does not actually exist, the analyst using 
a tube, for instance, in which a previous sample which contained 
rag had been prepared and not having thoroughly cleaned the tube 
afterwards before using it for paper that doesn't contain rag. 

The Chairman. It never amounts to anything? 

Mr. Veitch. No, sir; and a report of 5 per cent of rag in any 
paper is utterly immaterial. It doesn't amount to anything at all. 
It has no service there. It does no good and it does no harm. 

STATEMENT OF MR. HOWARD L. STRAWN, INSPECTOR FOR THE 
JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING. 

Mr. Strawn. Mr. Chairman, there has 'evidently been a mistake 
made in the sample for sized and supercalendered paper. When the 
clerk of the joint committee was down to-day, he got the analysis 
made on the standard sample. This analysis was made September 28, 
1910, for the standard sample for 1911-12. Whenever I saw a right 
nice lot of paper coming in I told the superintendent, " Now, let's hold 
a little of this. It will be a good 'thing for a sample." The case was 
then marked and set aside. Well, on September 28, 1910, we were 
using 140-pound sized and supercalendered paper, and we had been 
using that right along. Using it for our standard sample, we had cut 
about a thousand sheets 9 by 12 of the 140-pound sized and supercal- 
endered. About a dozen of these sheets were sent out to the Bureau 
of Standards for analysis. They analyzed them, and the analysis 
showed 5.65 per cent of ash for the 140-pound sized and supercal- 
endered. I wouldn't say positively — I think, though, it was near the 
1st of December, the Public Printer changed from 140-pound to 120- 
pound sized and supercalendered for the standard sample. He con- 
cluded to use a lighter paper, so 120-pound paper was substituted for 
the samples of 140-pound paper. I do not think there was ever any 
analysis made of that 120-poimd paper, but I know the analysis of 
the 140-pound paper is on the 120-pound supercalendered sample. 
In other words, we have no correct analysis, in my judgment, of that 



REJECTION OE BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 35 

120-pound paper, and it may contain 10 per cent of ash or it may 
contain 12 per cent. I think the two papers are identical, made by the 
same mill, the same formula, varying a little in the soda and sulphite, 
and varying in ash; but they are the same papers, one being 20 
pounds lighter than the other — the same size. I think we are at sea 
on the sized and supercalendered paper of lots 19 to 23. 

LETTER OF MR. R. P. ANDREWS, OF WASHINGTON. 

The Chairman. Mr. Finley has received a letter from R. P. An- 
drews and also an inclosure, showing the analyses of the samples he 
claims he had submitted to him. In his letter to Mr. Finley, dated 
August 15, 1911, Mr. Andrews saj^s: 

Dear Sir: The point I wished to briiiij: out :uk1 was ignored iu by your chair- 
man to-day, was that we were furnislied a standard sample by which to make 
the paper that has been rejected. We took this sample to the United States 
Bureau of Standard.s, and we have a report signed by W. S. Strattou, the di- 
rector, stating that tlie siunples, which were Government Printing Office stand- 
ard samples, contained 12.0.j j)er cent and 12.67 per cent of ash or filler. Now, 
this is the analysis made by the P»ureau of Standards of the dei)artment's 
sample which was fnrnislied us, juid our deliveries which have been re.lected all 
show a percentage of asli below the standard sample which was furnished us 
by the department when we made our contract. In the face of this evidence, 
which we can iirove by affidavits, by lioth the officials of the Bureau of Stand- 
ards and ourselves, we can uot see how. without doing a great injustice, you 
can sustain the rejection of the Public Printer. 

Vv'hile the above facts are facts, there is no standard of ash in our contracts, 
and we submit again we are not bound to furnish paper with any certain per- 
centage of ash therein. I feel sure you are a good enough lawyer to agree with 
me that this point is well taken. 

Mr. Andrews also sftj^s in a note accompanying this letter : 

We have been told, that the Government sample for postal-c:ird board on 
which the contr;ict w; s awaidcd for this year, sLows 3 per cent of ash or load 
ing; and we have been told that <he contr;'ct has been amended sin"e it was 
entered into with the sanction of the joint committee, that the weigkt has been 
changed, and th.-it the ]iercent;'ge of loading has been increased to 10 per cent, 
and this by the sanction of the joint committee. 

I don't know wdio told him, but I do know what he states is abso- 
lutely untrue. 

Mr. Donnelly. In the first i^lace. he has accepted in writing, and 
the letter is on file with your committee, the dead line on the ash ; and, 
in the second place, the specifications for postal-card paper distinctly 
state, as I recollect it, that 10 per cent of ash would be allowed. 

The Chairman. Mr. Andrews says here it has been changed and 
the percentage of loading has been increased, and this with " the sanc- 
tion of the joint committee." 

Mr. Donnelly. It has not been done by anyone's sanction. 

The Chairman. That statement by Mr. Andrews is not true. 

Mr. Page. Has he any shadow upon which to predicate that state- 
ment? 

Mr. Donnelly. I don't think he has. 

Mr. Fletcher. He says, he has been told that. He doesn't state 
it as a fact. He simply says he has been told that. 

The Chairman. I say, so far as the action of the joint committee 
is concerned, it is not true. 

Mr. Page. I understand that while there might be a question 
whether this might not be purchased for a little less with this load- 



36 REJECTIOlSr OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

ing than Avithoiit it, yet, as a matter of fact, you have not been 
wronged, that this paper is as good as you expected, and has been in 
every respect satisfactory. Is that a correct statement of the case? 

Mr. DoNKELiA'. I have exphiined my position in that matter in a 
letter which I Avrote you, to this effect : That, when it was first called 
to my attention, I tried to get as good a bargain as I could for the 
Government, and I wrote to the contractor and called his attention 
to the fact that the paper contained excessive loading, and he then 
presented in writing the same argument he made to you to-day in 
rehition to the terms of his contract. Realizing that there was a ques- 
tion, and that there was no restriction concerning ash in the contract, 
I thought, in the absence of any restriction, we are governed by ex- 
perience and rule of reason, and decided not to accept any paper with 
ash in excess of 5 per cent. He accepted that condition, and, so far 
as Mr. Andrews is concerned, he is on record. 

Mr. Pace. What he has sent has not exceeded that but by a small 
fraction, has it? 

Mr. Donnelly. What he has ship]:)ed since that letter was written. 
Here is a delivery of to-day that has 5.40 per cent of ash. 

Mr. Page. There has been nothing sent that was as high as 6 per 
cent ? 

Mr. Donnelly. Not since the letter. I would fix 5 per cent as 
the dead line for machine-finished and 10 per cent for supercal- 
endered. The New York & Pennsylvania Co. has refused to accept 
that, although the representative of the company said to me after he 
left here that in relation to the 40-pound paper I talked to j^ou about 
he would take up the question of signing that contract just as soon 
as this matter is adjusted, so I considered ihat was an indication 
that he would furnish the 40-pound with the restrictions as to ash. 

The Chairman. On June 19. 1911. in a letter to R. P. Andrews 
Co., you stated : 

You ai'Q advised that <in futin-e deliveries the londins nmst be approximately 
the sauie as that contained in the standard sample. 

Mr. Andrews objected to that, and then after that you allowed 
him to have 5 per cent and 10 per cent. 

Mr. Donnelly. Yes, sir; 5 per cent and 10 per cent, and of the 
Hopfenmaier paper his deliveries showed 11 per cent. Hopfenmaier 
is using 10 per cent rag. 

STATEMENT OF MR. DOUTY— Continued. 

The Chairman. Mr. Douty, I would like to ask you a question. 
As I understand, in your opinion, that wherever the standard sample 
is 1.05 per cent ash, you think the maximum ought to be 1.5 per 
cent ? 

Mr. DouTY. I would say, if you were going to hold the contractor 
to a delivery upon that contract. I would consider 1.5 per cent a 
fair duplicate of the contract. I should think that is as far as you 
can go. Inasmuch as you have stated in the contract that 1.05 per 
cent is the maximum he would aim at that. Sometimes he might 
run over it and sometimes below it. If he went to 1.5 he would make 
a very good duplicate. 

Mr. Fletcher. Suppose there is nothing specified as to the amount 
of ash in the contract. Then what should he l>e allowed ? 



11 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 37 

Mr. DouTY. Well, of course, that is a matter to be decided by the 
men who are using the paper. I should say, as Mr. Donnelly has. In 
the first i^lace you want first-class paper for machine-finished, and I 
think ash up to 5 per cent w^oukl give you a first-class paper. I 
should say ash above 5 per cent and up to 10 per cent in a wood paper 
would give you a second-grade machine-finished printing paper. 

Mr. F" LETCHER. \A^iat about the supercalendered? 

Mr. DouTY. In the supercalendered. I should make practically the 
same limitations as Mr. Donnelly has. For a first-class supercalen- 
dered paper the contractor should be allowed 10 per cent. The pores 
are filled by the clay and the calendering gives a first -class surface. 
I should say 10 per cent for first-class supercalendered paper should 
be allowed. 

Mr. FiNLEY. And the second class? 

Mr. DoiTTY. Second class could contain 10 to 15 per cent, perhaps 
as high as 18 per cent ; but I should think second-class supercalen- 
dered should contain not above 18 per cent, because in my opinion 
paper begins to deteriorate very soon after you let it get above 10 
per cent of clay. If it is loaded with agalite. an asbestos fiber, it 
could be loaded with more agalite than it could with clay. 

Mr. FiNLEY. That would not give the surface. 

Mr. DoTTTY. The more you load it, the better surface you get, but 
the strength will run down, and the deterioration will increase as 
loading increases, not so much from the deleterious effect of the load- 
ing, but from the fact that as the paper manufacturer increases his 
loading he has to increase his sizing material, which is usually rosin 
sizing, to cement the paper together, 

Mr. Page. How^ much paper is there held up that we are quarreling 
about ? 

The Chairman. There is quite a bit, and this class of paper con- 
stitutes nearly one-half of the entire pajDer purchases of the Govern- 
ment Printing Office, or close to $500,000 worth a year. 

Mr. DoNNELEY. There are six or eight carloads — possibly more — 
that stand rejected, on which they are appealing, and there are car 
lots coming in every day. You see. Ave use 20 rolls — 5 tons daily on 
the Record alone. 

Mr. Fletcher. These carloads run 

Mr. Donnelly. About 40,000 pounds. 

Mr. Fletcher. I mean as to this ash. 

Mr. Donnelly. You have the statement in my letter. Senator. 

Mr. Fletcher. That has all been coming in since your letter speci- 
fying the maximum? 

Mr. Donnelly. Lot 20 exceeds 2 per cent; lot 21. 400 reams. ;^.20 
per cent ; lot 22. 4.04 per cent. 

Mr. PaCxE. It exceeds the sample, you say? 

Mr. Donnelly. That refers to 1.05 per cent and 5.65 per cent. 

Mr. Doi'TY. I brought with me a few references upon two or three 
questions that seemed to be in dispute this morning; one was the 
amount of filler which a paper would retain, and I thought perliaps 
you might want these authorities, beside the testimony of Mr. Veitch 
and myself; and also as to the amount of ash that would be deleterious 
in a paper. If you wish, I will give them. They are short statements. 

The Chairman. We will be glad to know what these authorities 
hold. 



38 REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 

Mr, DouTY. The first one is by Clapperton. an English authority, 
on the amount of loading material that may be retained by paper. 

A paper weighing equal to about 40 pounds, demy, wlien loaded with clay- 
to show 19 to 20 per cent on l)urning, will carry as much as 85 per cent of that 
added to the beater. Should such a paper consist of a large proportion of edge- 
runner broke, the amount carried will in some cases be as much as 90 to 95 
per cent. The percentage of barium sulphate carrier! will seldom exceed 35 
per cent, while pearl hardening will visually turn out 50 per cent. It is claimed 
that by using chloride of barium, and adding a slight excess of alum or alumina, 
sulphate of barium will be jirecipitated on the fibers in such a way as to enable 
them to retain it much better, and so increase the turnout. 

Agalite is prepared from asbestos and retains the fibrous nature of that 
substitute. Owing to this the loss in passing over the wire is much less, and, 
indeed, it is claimed that in ordinary circumstances as much as 99 per cent is 
actually carried. By using agalite tbe surface is much improA'ed, owing to its 
soapy nature, and the sizing is not impaired as with china clay. 

Mr. Page. That is the best filler? 

Mr. DouTY. It is. and it is more expensive than the clay. 
Mr. Paoe, AA'e have that in my county. 

Mr. DouTY. I quote Cross and Bevan, two very ])rominent paper 
chemists, on the subject of "Mineral filling and loading agents": 

It is usual, except in papers of the very highest quality, to add to the pulp 
a quantity of some relatively cheap mineral loading material, such as china 
clay, or for certain qualities of paper " pearl hardening," or sulphate of lime. 
The addition of clay in moderate quantities can hardly be looked upon as an 
adulteration, since it serves to fill up the pores of the paper, thus giving a sheet 
of closer texture, with a smoother surface and more absorbent of printer's ink, 
and also enables it to take an improved surface in the subsequent operations of 
calendering. It also adds to the opacity of the paper — a very important point 
in book papers. Moreover, it enables the manufacturer to meet the demand for 
cheap papers. If added largely, it of course tends to weaken the paper. 

Some of the finer qualities of paper are made without addition of any load- 
ing nijiterial whatever, though such papers are, of course, the exception. The 
proportion of clay or other material that can be I'etained by a fiber depends to 
a cei'tain extent upon the nature of the fiber and upon the degree of fineness 
to which it is reduced in the beater. The amount added by different makers 
varies considerably, from 2 or 3 per cent to 20. and even, in rare cases, to 30 
per cent. 

Other mineral filling agents having a certain fibrous character have been 
from time to time introduced, possessing certain advantages over clay or 
calcium sulphate. Agalite is a mineral of the nature and chemical properties 
of asbestos; it consists of neaiiy pure magnesium silicate. Its structure is 
more or less fibrous, like that of asbestos, which, as is well known, can be spun 
and woven, and even made into paper, and therefore, when added to a paper, it 
forms a part of the fabric itself. It is even claimed that it assists in keeping 
back some of the finer fibers that invariably find their way through the meshes 
of the wire cloth, and it is said tbat 90 per cent of the amount added to the 
engine is found in the paper. In case of china clay, it is well known that only 
from 40 to 60 per cent is often actually " carried " by the pulp. 

This is from Sindall, also an English authority, from bis work 
An Elementary Manual of Paper Technology, On the subject of 
deterioration Sindall says: 

The admixture of excessive amounts of clay and similar loadings is scarcely 
a direct cause of decay, but since a corresponding increase of sizing ingredients 
is necessary to bind the mineral matter to the fiber, the power of resistance to 
deterioration is lowered. However, in the case of " imitation art." which is a 
soft sized paper, the lack of durability is directly due to the enormous propor- 
tion of clay, 30 to 35 per cent, which prevents the proper felting of the fibers. 

And upon the matter of clay, I quote from Sindall also : 

a paper guaranteed to have been manufactured without the addition of 
mineral matter was tested for china clay, which was present to the extent of 



REJECTION OF BOOK PRINTING PAPER. 39 

2 to 3 per cent. This was eventually traced to the fact that waste papers used 
in furnishing the beater contained china clay in quantities sutiicient to account 
for the above proportion. 

I quote here from Henry P. Stevens on the amount of ash the 
various fibers contain : 

The lowest ash which our fibers will contain is that of white pine at 0.12; 
poplar, 0.45; Cottonwood, 0.65; willow, 0.70; basswood, 0.55; chestnut, 0.13. 
Willow is the highest and white pine is the lowest. 

According to Herzberg, the German expert, commercial pulps 
contain ash as follows: 

Sulphite No. 1. 0.48 per cent; sulphite No. 2, 0.51 per cent; sulphite (bleached), 
0.42; soda, 1.34; soda (bleached), 0.40 per cent. 

So that our statement in regard to 0.70 per cent to-daj was well 
within the experience of other gentlemen who have worked on the 
subject. 

Mr. FocHT. How old are these authorities? 

Mr. DouTY. Stevens, 1908 ; Sindall, 1906 ; Cross and Bevan, 1907 ; 
and this of Clapperton's is the latest edition, 1907. They are all 
recent. This modern science of construction and manipulation on 
a machine is new. 

Mr. FocHT. For instance, 10 years ago they couldn't undertake to 
get out the Ladies' Home Journal on one of their presses? 

Mr. DouTY. No, sir. 

The Chairman. If there are no other questions the committee 
desires to ask these g-entlemen we will ffo into executive session. 



joint committee fixes maximum. 

After full consideration of the foregoing statements the Joint 
Committee on Printing decided to allow a margin of 3 per cent above 
the standard sample i^ercentages of ash for macliine-finish and sized 
and supercalendered book printing paper, fixing the maximum ash 
percentages for these papers as follows for the year ending February 
29, 1912: Machine finish, 4.05 per cent instead of 1.05 per cent; sized 
and supercalendered (sample B), 8.7 per cent instead of 5.7 per cent; 
sized and supercalendered (sample C), 8.65 per cent instead of 5.65 
per cent. 

The Public Printer was directed to accept the machine-finish and 
supercalendered paper that had been delivered at the Government 
Printing Office but was rejected on account of containing ash in 
excess of 1.05 per cent and 5.65 per cent, respectively. 

On motion of Mr. Smoot, the Joint Committee on Printing then 
adopted the following resolution : 

Rcfiolrcd. That a committee consisting of a representative each of the Gov- 
(>rnnient Printing Office, the P.ureau of Standards, and the Bureau of Chem- 
istry, the clerk and the inspector of the .Joint Committee on Printing, and the 
assistant secretary of the Printing Investigation Commission be requested to 
prepare standai-d specifications and samples of paper for the public printing 
and binding, and submit the same, together with recommendations as to a 
uniform method of testing paper for the Government, to the Joint Committee 
on Printing on or before December 4, 1911. for its consideration in fixing stand- 
ards of paper for the Government Printing Office. 

Thereupon the committee adjourned. 

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